A fresh controversy has erupted in India’s technology and telecom sector after Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov alleged that Reliance and WhatsApp were involved in efforts to restrict Telegram’s operations in India.
Durov claimed that Telegram was facing deliberate disruptions outside India through a technique known as Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) hijacking and suggested that the actions could be linked to competition in the messaging market. He also alleged that Telegram was being targeted amid the platform’s temporary restrictions in India.
Reliance Jio swiftly denied the allegations, stating that it had no involvement in any BGP hijacking incident or disruption of Telegram services. The company said it operates its network in accordance with global internet routing standards and rejected speculation surrounding the claims.
The dispute comes at a time when Telegram is challenging the Indian government’s temporary restrictions on the platform, which were imposed over concerns related to alleged misuse during the NEET examination controversy. Telegram has argued that the restrictions unfairly affect millions of legitimate users.
The episode has drawn significant attention across the technology industry, highlighting ongoing debates around platform regulation, competition in digital communications, and the governance of online services.
