NEW DELHI : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has sharply criticised the Centre’s decision to block Telegram ahead of the NEET-UG retest, accusing the Narendra Modi government of targeting students instead of dismantling the networks responsible for examination paper leaks. His remarks came after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) blocked Telegram and directed the platform to disable its message-editing feature following recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA) ahead of the June 21 re-examination.
Rahul Gandhi Calls Ban A Misplaced Response
Reacting to the government’s action, Rahul Gandhi argued that banning Telegram would do little to address the root causes of paper leaks while inconveniencing millions of students who rely on the platform for exam preparation.
Rahul Gandhi said: “‘Telegram Ban’ – Modi Government’s New Trick to Stop Paper Leaks. Meaning, instead of catching the thief, just hang a lock on the victim’s door. Millions of students have been studying on Telegram for years – notes, test series, discussions, preparation. How does snatching that facility become the solution to paper leaks?”
The Leader of the Opposition suggested that the measure unfairly penalises students while leaving the larger issue unresolved.
Gandhi also questioned whether restrictions on Telegram would be effective in preventing future leaks, arguing that organised cheating networks would likely find alternative channels.
“And it’s not even foolproof – every student in the country knows this, and so does the paper leak mafia. So, who will the next ban be on? WhatsApp? On exam day, students will be frisked. Pockets will be cut open with scissors. Question papers will be sent via the Air Force. There won’t be any shortage of theatrics. But not a single strike at the root of the disease – because the paper leak mafia is thriving under this very government’s watch, and making the youth cry tears of blood,” he said.
His comments represent one of the strongest political attacks on the government’s handling of examination security ahead of the retest.
Demand To ‘Strike At The Mafia, Not Students’
Continuing his criticism, Gandhi urged the government to focus on identifying and dismantling those responsible for recurring paper leak controversies rather than imposing restrictions that affect students.
“Listen to the ‘Echo of Students’ – or else the youth of the country knows how to claim their rights,” he said.
The Congress leader maintained that meaningful reforms should target criminal networks and administrative failures rather than educational tools widely used by aspirants.
Why Telegram Was Blocked
According to government sources, the decision was taken following recommendations from the National Testing Agency.
Officials cited concerns that organised groups were using Telegram channels to circulate misinformation and exploit the platform’s message-editing feature to fabricate timelines and create misleading evidence of question paper leaks.
The restriction on message editing was reportedly intended to address what authorities described as a design vulnerability that could be misused by channel administrators.
