Congress Criticizes Temporary Telegram Ban Amid NEET Exam Controversy

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit condemned the government’s temporary restriction of Telegram in India, asserting it is an ineffective solution to combat malpractices like exam cheating. He argued that addressing the root issues is imperative, rather than targeting a single platform amid NEET re-examination controversies.

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Tuesday voiced strong criticism against the Indian government’s decision to temporarily limit access to the Telegram platform. Dikshit labeled this move as a 'total failure of the government,' arguing that such a ban would not resolve underlying problems.

During a conversation with ANI, Dikshit highlighted that Telegram is an encrypted messaging service similar to WhatsApp and questioned why it was specifically targeted. He stressed that misinformation and privacy concerns span various platforms and suggested that the root causes of examination irregularities need to be addressed.

The restriction comes after the National Testing Agency (NTA) moved to restrict Telegram amid NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination concerns. This directive, aimed at curbing cheating, falls under Section 69A of the IT Act and includes disabling certain platform features.