'WhatsApp next?': Rahul Gandhi, Kejriwal slam Telegram ban ahead of re-NEET, question 'absurd' step

THe government's conclusion to temporarily censor the wire app in the circumstance of NEET-UG paper leak out concerns has sparked a controversy. Opposition leaders, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal slammed the move, raising doubts on whether the move would actually prevent paper leaks. Telegram has temporarily been restricted for use in India ahead of the NEET-UG re-exam scheduled for June 21. In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi wondered if social media platform WhatsApp would be next on the government's radar for placing restrictions. Meanwhile, Kejriwal called the steps taken by the government "absurd" and said there was no real intention to stop paper leaks.“Transporting papers via army ships, shutting down Telegram. Will these steps stop paper leaks? Absolutely not. The paper leak business is a multi-billion-rupee racket. The money goes all the way to the top. If paper leaks are stopped, where will the money come from to buy MLAs/MPs?,” a part of Kejriwal's post on X read. ‘Chor ko pakadne ke bajaye….’Rahul Gandhi, who has long been criticising the government over paper leak concerns, said the Telegram restrictions goes on to show that efforts were being made to “lock up” the victim instead of the culprit. “Chor ko pakadne ke bajaye peedit ke ghar par taala laga do (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?,” Rahul Gandhi wrote. Gandhi also said that there's no guarantee that such methods would be fool proof, and called the measures being taken for the re-exam “theatrics”. “Modi Ji - drop the theatrics. Strike at the mafia, not the students,” he said. Earlier, K Annamalai, who recently quit the BJP, also questioned the high security measures being taken before the retest. He said the measures would add to the “already ballooning exam pressure” students are facing. Why was Telegram restricted?The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday restricted access to Telegram in India till June 22, a day after the NEET re-exam. Justifying the move, the testing agency said that the platform was being used by fraudsters to seek money and falsely claiming access to “leaked re-exam papers". "We will not let anything go wrong. We will take all possible actions to ensure that the examination is conducted without any malpractice," NTA Director General Abhishek Singh told news agency PTI.The NTA has also warned students about fabricated “proof” videos and manipulated chats being circulated to trap anxious candidates and parents.Telegram has approached the Delhi High Court against the temporary block and the plea is expected to be heard today.