'Punished 150 million users...': Telegram founder Pavel Durov reacts to India’s temporary app ban

Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov on Tuesday criticised India’s temporary ban on the messaging app, saying the move had “punished” more than 150 million ordinary users in the country, according to a report by Reuters.

Durov said the ban had not solved the issue it was meant to address, adding that the leaks “simply moved to other apps.”

India temporarily blocked Telegram after authorities said the platform was being used to target candidates and attempt fraud linked to a national medical entrance examination. The exam had already faced controversy after allegations of leaked question papers last month led to the cancellation of millions of results.

“The ban has not stopped anything and the leaks simply moved to other apps,” Durov said.

He added that restricting access to Telegram had affected millions of regular users who rely on the platform for everyday communication.

Telegram has more than 150 million users in India, making the country one of its largest markets globally.

Why India banned Telegram ahead of NEET re-exam

The Centre temporarily banned Telegram until midnight on June 22 over alleged paper leak channels linked to the NEET-UG exam. The NEET re-exam is scheduled for June 21 after a paper leak in May affected more than 23 lakh students.

According to the National Testing Agency (NTA), the action came after months of monitoring Telegram channels allegedly being used for organising cheating and cyber fraud networks.

 

Channels accused of sharing fake paper leak claims

Several channels, including “PAPER LEAKED NEET”, “Re-NEET 2026”, “Private Mafia” and “REE NEET MAFIAA”, were found sharing claims of access to exam papers and demanding payments from candidates and their families. The amounts reportedly ranged from a few thousand rupees to several lakh rupees.

 

Editing feature restricted

Along with the temporary ban, Telegram has also been ordered to disable its message editing feature for all previously posted messages in India until June 30, 2026.

The NTA said the feature was allegedly being misused to create fake evidence of paper leaks. According to the agency, channel administrators could edit older messages after the exam to insert question papers and later circulate them as proof that the papers were leaked before the examination.

“The MeitY direction closes this avenue of fabrication for the post-examination window in which such artefacts have historically been deployed,” the NTA said.

The agency described the measures as “calibrated and bounded in time”, saying the ban was implemented only after other steps, including the removal of channels and groups, failed to address the issue. It called the temporary Telegram ban a “measure of last resort” to protect the examination process and maintain public order.

The NTA also clarified that no genuine NEET paper was available outside the secured examination system, saying, “there is no such paper available outside the secured examination chain. The promise of any such material is, in every instance, a fraud.”

The agency said the temporary restriction on Telegram would help create a safer and more secure environment for students appearing for the medical entrance exam.

Meanwhile, Google and Apple confirmed receiving the Indian government’s order to delist Telegram from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Sources within Apple told Reuters that the company would comply with the order amid concerns related to the NEET paper leak.