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.
“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,” he wrote.
Durov further argued that the restriction had failed to achieve its intended objective.
“And the ban hasn’t stopped anything. The leaks just moved to other apps.”
Who Is Pavel Durov?
Pavel Durov, 39, is the Russian-born founder and owner of Telegram, a free messaging platform that competes with services including WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and WeChat.
Telegram has stated ambitions to cross one billion monthly active users within the next year.
The platform holds significant influence across Russia, Ukraine and several former Soviet republics and has become an important channel for information related to the Russia-Ukraine war. Both Moscow and Kyiv officials use Telegram extensively, and some analysts have described the app as “a virtual battlefield” in the conflict.
Forbes has estimated Durov’s fortune at $15.5 billion.
Durov left Russia in 2014 after refusing government demands to shut down opposition communities hosted on his social media platform VKontakte, which he later sold. He became a French citizen in August 2021 and relocated himself and Telegram to Dubai in 2017. French media reports have also said he received citizenship of the United Arab Emirates. According to media reports, Durov also holds citizenship in St. Kitts and Nevis, a Caribbean twin-island nation
NTA Flags Telegram-Based Scam Network
The criticism comes as preparations continue for the NEET-UG re-examination scheduled for June 21. With only days remaining before the exam, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said it had uncovered a large-scale scam network operating through Telegram. In a video statement, NTA Director General Abhishek Singh detailed two alleged fraud mechanisms being used to target students through the platform.
According to the agency, one set of Telegram channels was demanding payments ranging from ₹14,000 to ₹25,000 and, in some cases, amounts as high as ₹10 lakh, while falsely promising access to the re-examination paper.
The agency rejected those claims and issued a warning to candidates.
“There is no leaked paper for the re-exam. The money is gone the moment you transfer it. Your admit card and WhatsApp number, if you sent them, become the tools they use to scam the next student.”
NTA Explains Alleged Message Editing Tactic Used to Mislead Students
The NTA also outlined another alleged scam tactic involving manipulated proof videos.
According to the agency, fraudsters were circulating videos appearing to show old Telegram chats that suggested prior access to examination papers.
Explaining the alleged method, the agency said, “On Telegram, whoever runs a channel can edit any old message AND change what’s inside it, while the date on the message stays the same. So a message edited on the 4th can be made to look exactly like it was sent on the 1st.”
Government Moves to Restrict Telegram Availability Until June 22
As part of measures aimed at preventing paper leaks during the upcoming re-examination, the government directed Google and Apple to delist Telegram from their app stores until June 22.
By 9 pm on June 16, the app had already been blocked on Android devices and was expected to face similar restrictions on Apple devices.
Users attempting to install Telegram through the Google Play Store on Android were shown the message, “this app is not available”.
Also Read: NEET-UG 2026 Re-Exam: Why Telegram Faces Temporary Restrictions Ahead of June 21 Test
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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