Telegram CEO Alleges Sabotage by Reliance Ahead of NEET Exam Ban

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has alleged that Reliance Group, which has Meta as a partial stakeholder, may have lobbied alongside WhatsApp to ban his messaging platform in India. Durov also accused Reliance of sabotaging Telegram's access for millions of users outside India, including in the UAE, using a technique called BGP hijacking.

India's IT ministry temporarily banned Telegram after some users shared leaked NEET-UG exam questions. Durov criticized the ban as punishment for 150 million ordinary users rather than those responsible for the leak, noting the leaked materials simply migrated to other apps.

A senior telecom industry source dismissed Durov's allegations as misinformation, clarifying he confused Reliance Communications with Reliance Industries Ltd. Meta holds a stake in Jio, the digital arm of Reliance Industries.