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Telegram CEO Alleges Reliance-Meta Sabotage Amidst India Ban Over NEET Exam
🗓 17 Jun 2026, 02:31 PM
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Telegram CEO Pavel Durov accused a Reliance entity of disrupting the app's access outside India via BGP hijacking, hinting at corporate competition with Meta, hours after India ordered a temporary ban on Telegram for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination.
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has intensified his criticism of India's temporary ban on the messaging app, alleging that a Reliance entity disrupted Telegram's service outside India through a technique known as BGP hijacking. These accusations surfaced shortly after the Indian government mandated a nationwide block on Telegram until June 22, 2026, citing concerns over the integrity of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology invoked Section 69A of the IT Act to restrict Telegram access, acting on a recommendation from the National Testing Agency (NTA). The NTA pointed to the platform's organized use by cheating syndicates circulating alleged leaked question papers and charging exorbitant fees to students. The government also mandated Telegram to disable its message-editing feature for Indian users until June 30 to prevent content manipulation.
Durov responded on X, arguing that the ban penalizes over 150 million Indian users rather than addressing the root cause of leaks, which he stated have merely shifted to other platforms. He later elaborated on the BGP hijacking claim, specifically naming "Indian telecom Reliance" and suggesting the disruption might be linked to competitive interests, potentially involving Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp.
The incident has ignited debate on the effectiveness of app-specific bans, the security of internet infrastructure, and the potential influence of corporate competition within India's rapidly expanding digital communications market. BGP hijacking involves the malicious redirection or blocking of internet traffic by falsely claiming ownership of network routes. While some observers suggest the route announcements from Reliance Communications Ltd's AS18101 could be a configuration error, Durov maintains it was deliberate sabotage.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology invoked Section 69A of the IT Act to restrict Telegram access, acting on a recommendation from the National Testing Agency (NTA). The NTA pointed to the platform's organized use by cheating syndicates circulating alleged leaked question papers and charging exorbitant fees to students. The government also mandated Telegram to disable its message-editing feature for Indian users until June 30 to prevent content manipulation.
Durov responded on X, arguing that the ban penalizes over 150 million Indian users rather than addressing the root cause of leaks, which he stated have merely shifted to other platforms. He later elaborated on the BGP hijacking claim, specifically naming "Indian telecom Reliance" and suggesting the disruption might be linked to competitive interests, potentially involving Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp.
The incident has ignited debate on the effectiveness of app-specific bans, the security of internet infrastructure, and the potential influence of corporate competition within India's rapidly expanding digital communications market. BGP hijacking involves the malicious redirection or blocking of internet traffic by falsely claiming ownership of network routes. While some observers suggest the route announcements from Reliance Communications Ltd's AS18101 could be a configuration error, Durov maintains it was deliberate sabotage.