Kejriwal slams Centre's 'absurd' Telegram ban over paper leaks

Arvind Kejriwal criticised the Centre's temporary restriction on Telegram ahead of the NEET re-exam, calling it an 'absurd step' that won't stop paper leaks. The NTA stated the ban was to prevent the fabrication of 'paper leak' evidence.

Kejriwal Slams Centre, Alleges 'Paper Leak Racket'

Aam Aadmi Party Convenor and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday criticised the Centre's move to restrict access to the Telegram platform in India for a defined and limited period, alleging that the Government has no intention to stop paper leaks. In a post on X, Kejriwal termed it "absurd steps", following restrictions on Telegram and transporting papers via air with the help of the Indian Army. "The Modi government has no intention of stopping paper leaks. That's why such absurd steps are being taken. Transporting papers via army ships, shutting down Telegram. Will these steps stop paper leaks? Absolutely not," he said.

"The paper leak business is a multi-billion-rupee racket. The money goes all the way to the top. If paper leaks are stopped, where will the money come from to buy MLAs/MPs?," Kejriwal alleged.

NTA Cites 'Fabricated Evidence' for Restriction

Earlier, the National Testing Agency (NTA) restricted access to the Telegram platform in India for a defined and limited period ending 22 June 2026, covering the day of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination and its immediate aftermath. The restriction addresses the specific structural feature through which the platform has been used to fabricate after-the-event "paper leak" evidence in respect of national examinations.

Telegram CEO Criticises Ban

Afterwards, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov criticised India's temporary restriction on the messaging platform ahead of the NEET-UG exam, stating that it unfairly affects millions of users. He claimed that India's IT ministry banned Telegram for one week because "some users shared leaked exam questions" and 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.

Legal Basis and Directives Behind the Ban

According to the NTA, the platform-level restriction comes under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Alongside the temporary block, MeitY directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India for messages already posted, a rule that remains in force until 30 June 2026.

The NTA stated that cheating networks actively used these platform features to defraud candidates appearing for the re-examination scheduled on 21 June 2026.

Telegram Challenges Ban in Delhi High Court

Notably, Telegram has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the Central government's decision to block its operations in India until June 22 in connection with the upcoming NEET-UG 2026 re-examination. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)