"Why single out Telegram?": Congress' Sandeep Dikshit criticises Centre

New Delhi [India], June 16 (ANI): Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Tuesday criticised the Centre's move to restrict access to the Telegram platform in India for a defined and limited period, terming it a "total failure of the government" and asserting that banning one platform would not address the larger problem.
Speaking to ANI, Dikshit said Telegram is an encrypted messaging platform, similar to several other communication applications, and questioned the rationale behind singling it out.
"On NEET, this is a total failure of the government. Telegram is an encrypted messaging channel like WhatsApp and other platforms. If the government believes such platforms are responsible, then why single out Telegram? There are several ways through which people can conceal their identity or communicate anonymously. Banning Telegram will only hamper people who use it for general conversations," he said.
He further alleged that misinformation spreads across multiple platforms and argued that the focus should be on addressing the root causes behind examination irregularities rather than imposing restrictions on a single messaging service.
This comes after the National Testing Agency (NTA) restricted access to the Telegram platform in India for a defined and limited period ending 22 June 2026, covering the day of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination and its immediate aftermath.
The restriction addresses the specific structural feature through which the platform has been used to fabricate after-the-event "paper leak" evidence in respect of national examinations.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued these calibrated directions following recommendations by the NTA and the Department of Higher Education to check organised cheating rackets.
According to the NTA, the platform-level restriction comes under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Alongside the temporary block, MeitY directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India for messages already posted, a rule that remains in force until 30 June 2026.
The NTA stated that cheating networks actively used these platform features to defraud candidates appearing for the re-examination scheduled on 21 June 2026.
Further, speaking on recent remarks by DMK targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Dikshit urged alliance partners to take a broader view of politics and not dwell excessively on past political alignments.
"If one wants to level allegations against Congress, they may do so. But if we want to see the bigger picture, then these parties should remember that political alliances in Tamil Nadu have changed over time. DMK has criticised Congress on many occasions and has also been in alliance with us. Such things happen in politics," he said.
Dikshit said Congress under Rahul Gandhi was attempting to build broader opposition unity and called on regional parties to reciprocate the gesture.
"Rahul Gandhi has shown a big heart. Now it is time for state parties to look at the bigger picture," he added. (ANI)