Media: Telegram demands lifting of block in India

Telegram has publicly criticised the Indian government's decision to temporarily block its messaging platform and called for the reversal of the decision.

The social media platform argued that the move unfairly penalises ordinary users and compared it to shutting down shopping malls because of a theft, Caliber.Az reports, citing Hindustan Times.

The platform's official X account responded to criticism of the ban raised by Karti Chidambaram, who questioned whether blocking Telegram was an effective way to prevent leaks related to India's national medical entrance examination.

You should also shut down all the shopping malls since there might be a theft in one of them. And close the roads because I heard someone was speeding.

— Telegram Messenger (@telegram) June 16, 2026

In its reply, Telegram mocked the rationale behind the restriction, saying: “You should also shut down all the shopping malls since there might be a theft in one of them. And close the roads because I heard someone was speeding.”

India has blocked Telegram until June 22, with authorities alleging that the platform was used to facilitate fraud involving candidates taking the national medical entrance exam.

Earlier, Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, also criticised the decision, arguing that it punished millions of users who had no connection to the alleged examination paper leak.

The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between governments seeking to curb misuse of digital platforms and technology companies that argue broad restrictions disproportionately affect legitimate users.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov