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Telegram ban row explodes beyond NEET; CEO Durov alleges Reliance-Meta ... Analysis Technology Telegram ban row explodes beyond NEET; CEO Durov alleges Reliance-Meta sabotage The allegations came hours after the Indian government ordered a nationwide block on Telegram until June 22 to protect the integrity of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination Shailesh Khanduri 17 Jun 2026 07:59 IST Follow Us New Update Pavel Durov New Delhi: Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov on Tuesday escalated his criticism of India’s temporary restriction on the messaging app, accusing a Reliance entity of disrupting access to Telegram outside India through alleged BGP hijacking and hinting at corporate competition linked to Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp. The allegations came hours after the Indian government ordered a nationwide block on Telegram until June 22 to protect the integrity of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination. The development has raised fresh questions about the stated reason for the ban, the technical implementation of internet blocks, and the role of corporate interests in India’s fast-growing digital communications market. Securing the NEET re-exam On June 16, the Ministry of Electronics a…

India's Telegram ban hit the UAE too. Here's how to get around it India has banned Telegram until June 22 after the app was used to circulate leaked exam papers. CEO Pavel Durov accuses telecom Reliance of BGP hijacking that disrupted the app as far away as the UAE. Here's what h… #hackernews #news

Telegram Vanishes From App Stores, Play Stores in India, But VPN Users ... Updated 17 June 2026 at 18:21 IST Telegram has been blocked in India ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-exam, with Google and Apple removing it from app stores. While the app is inaccessible for most users, VPNs keep it alive. CEO Pavel Durov slammed the ban, calling it ineffective and hinting at rival lobbying, sparking debate over exam security and digital freedom. info desk Tech News 3 min read Follow : Telegram Vanishes From App Stores in India, But VPN Users Keep It Alive; Pavel Durov Hits Back at Ban | Image: Reuters Telegram may have disappeared from India’s app stores, but the messaging platform is far from gone. A day after Indian authorities moved to restrict Telegram ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination, the app has now been removed from both Android and iPhone app stores. While Google pulled Telegram earlier, Apple has also taken it down, making fresh downloads nearly impossible for most users. Yet despite the crackdown, Telegram continues to function for many users through VPN services, raising questions about whether the restrictions can truly stop the spread of leaked content that trigg…

'Punishes 150M+ users in India': Telegram CEO criticises restrictions ... Telegram CEO Pavel Durov on Tuesday criticised India’s temporary restriction on the messaging platform ahead of the NEET-UG examination, stating that it unfairly impacts millions of users. He claimed that India’s IT Ministry banned Telegram for one week because “some users shared leaked exam questions” and added that “leaks have moved to other apps.” "India's IT ministry banned Telegram for one week because some users shared leaked exam questions. This punishes 150M+ ordinary Telegram users in India -- not the insiders who leaked the exam materials. And the ban hasn't stopped anything. The leaks just moved to other apps," he said in a post on X, reacting to the Internet Freedom Foundation press release. India’s IT ministry banned Telegram for one week because some users shared leaked exam questions.This punishes 150M+ ordinary Telegram users in India — not the insiders who leaked the exam materials.And the ban hasn't stopped anything. The leaks just moved to other apps.https://t.co/CzQWN4mXfb The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct the rescheduled NEET-UG examination on June 21. The Internet Free…

Who is Pavel Durov? Telegram CEO Accuses Reliance of Disrupting ... - NewsX 91 Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has accused Reliance of disrupting access to Telegram beyond India’s borders, alleging that the telecom major interfered with the platform’s internet connectivity in several countries. In a post on X, Durov claimed that Reliance used a technique known as Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) hijacking to alter Telegram’s network routes. According to him, the impact was not confined to India and extended to users in other regions, including the United Arab Emirates. Durov earlier criticised the Indian government’s decision to temporarily restrict Telegram ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination, arguing that the move unfairly affected ordinary users instead of targeting those responsible for exam leaks. Posting on X on Tuesday, Durov said the action had consequences for Telegram’s large user base in India. You Might Be Interested In Tesla Started Deliveries Of Model Y L In India Is The UK Government Planning To Ban VPNs? OnePlus Nord Buds 4 To Debut Soon “India’s IT ministry banned Telegram for one week because some users shared leaked exam questions. This punishes 150M+ ordinary…

Telegram challenges India ban over exam paper leak fears Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has called the ban a "mistake", arguing it would punish millions of users.

Telegram CEO Says India Has 'Punished' Over 150 Million Users Updated 16 June 2026 at 20:53 IST In an X post published on Tuesday, Durov argued that the restriction had not achieved its intended objective, claiming that the leaks had "simply moved to other apps" instead of being eliminated. Thomson Reuters Tech News 3 min read Follow : Pavel Durov has criticised the temporary suspension of Telegram in India. | Image: Reuters Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has criticised India's temporary restriction on the messaging platform, saying the move has "punished" more than 150 million ordinary users while failing to stop the spread of leaked examination material. In an X post published on Tuesday, Durov argued that the restriction had not achieved its intended objective, claiming that the leaks had "simply moved to other apps" instead of being eliminated. His comments come days after the Indian government temporarily blocked Telegram over its alleged use by organised cheating rackets linked to the NEET medical entrance examination controversy. 'The Ban Hasn't Stopped Anything' Responding to the government's action, Durov said the temporary block had affected millions of…

Telegram ban row explodes beyond NEET as CEO Durov alleges Reliance ... Digital Telegram ban row explodes beyond NEET as CEO Durov alleges Reliance-Meta sabotage Telegram founder says the temporary ban punishes over 150 million users, while routing claims raise questions around internet blocking and platform competition BestMediaInfo Bureau 17 Jun 2026 08:55 IST Follow Us New Update Pavel Durov Listen to this article 0.75x 1x 1.5x 00:00 / 00:00 New Delhi: Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has escalated his criticism of India’s temporary restriction on the messaging app, alleging that a Reliance-linked network disrupted access to Telegram outside India through what he described as BGP hijacking. The allegation came after the Indian government temporarily restricted access to Telegram until June 22 to protect the integrity of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, scheduled for June 21. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology acted on a recommendation from the National Testing Agency and invoked Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, to restrict access to the app. The NTA cited the alleged organised use of Telegram by cheating rackets to defraud candidates …