India, June 17 -- Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has strongly criticized the Centre's decision to temporarily block Telegram ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, accusing the government of penalizing students instead of taking action against those responsible for exam-related fraud.

Reacting to the move, Gandhi urged the government to focus on dismantling cheating networks and alleged paper leak mafias rather than restricting access to a communication platform used by millions.

The government had imposed a temporary ban on Telegram until June 22, citing concerns that the platform was being used by rackets to spread fake question papers and misinformation ahead of the NEET re-test scheduled for June 21.

Authorities said the meas...