NEET paper leak controversy: Telegram CEO’s big allegation on Reliance-Whatsapp, said- ‘Jio and Meta are conspiring together’

New Delhi: Pavel Durov, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of messaging app Telegram, alleged that Reliance Group may have lobbied for a ban on the app in India in collaboration with WhatsApp. Meta Platforms has a partial stake in Reliance. He also alleged that Reliance has hindered access to Telegram for millions of users outside India (which includes the UAE). A senior source in the telecom sector, speaking on condition of anonymity, termed the allegations as “fake news” and said Durov has created confusion between Reliance Communications and Reliance Industries Limited.

What allegations did Pavel Durov make?

“Indian telecommunications company Reliance is disrupting access to Telegram for millions of users outside India (including the UAE) through a suspicious method called ‘BGP hijacking’,” Pavel Durov wrote on social media platform X. This appears to be deliberate, as Reliance has ignored many complaints. This could be part of a competitive war, as Meta has a partial stake in Reliance, which is the parent company of WhatsApp.

Meta has a minority stake in Reliance Industries Ltd’s digital arm Jio. The undersea cable is operated by another group company, Reliance Communications, which is not a part of Reliance Industries. Durov said network operators are advised to reject unauthorized BGP announcements coming from Reliance (AS18101) to prevent ‘route hijacking’ and ensure stable Internet access for users.

He said, “Such misuse of the global internet route is worrying. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Reliance/WhatsApp were also behind the recent efforts to ban Telegram in India.”

NEET paper leak and strict action of Indian government

The government has directed Google and Apple to remove the Telegram app from their app stores by June 22 to prevent the leaking of NEET-UG re-examination paper. This examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) is for admission to undergraduate medical institutions across the country. The agency had canceled the previous examination held on May 3 amid allegations of paper leak. Additionally, a separate directive has asked Telegram to stop editing of messages already sent in India by June 30 to prevent misuse of evidence in cases related to ‘paper leaks’. The industry source said that it is clear from Durov’s statement that the company being talked about is RCom.

The source said, “The allegations he is making related to Meta are related to a completely different company (Jio). These are separate entities. Meta is only a minority investor in Jio and has no role in its day-to-day operations or management. Mixing the two either reflects a lack of understanding of the sector or is a deliberate attempt to spread misinformation.” Emails sent to Telegram, RCom, Jio, Meta and WhatsApp in this regard did not elicit any immediate response.

Also read: Telegram banned in the country before NEET UG 2026 Re-Exam, will not be able to access