Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Questions India’s Temporary Restriction on the Platform, Raises Allegations Against Reliance While Industry Sources Reject Claims
Highlights
- Pavel Durov alleged efforts to block Telegram in India.
- CEO claimed internet routing disruptions affected users outside India.
- Industry sources dismissed the allegations as misinformation.
- Telegram remains under scrutiny over NEET-UG re-test concerns.
- Government has reportedly directed app stores to delist Telegram temporarily.
New Delhi: Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has publicly criticized India’s temporary restrictions on the messaging platform and raised allegations involving Reliance, claims that were strongly rejected by telecom industry sources.
In a post on social media platform X, Durov alleged that a Reliance-linked network was disrupting Telegram access for users outside India, including in the United Arab Emirates, through a technique known as Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) hijacking. He further suggested that parties connected to Reliance and WhatsApp may have supported efforts to restrict Telegram’s operations in India.
However, industry sources dismissed the allegations, stating that Durov appeared to have confused two separate entities — Reliance Communications and Jio Platforms, the telecom arm of Reliance Industries.
According to telecom officials, the autonomous system number referenced in Durov’s post reportedly belongs to Reliance Communications and not Jio. Sources also emphasized that Meta, which invested in Jio in 2020, remains only a minority shareholder and does not participate in the company’s daily operations or management.
The controversy comes as Telegram faces increased regulatory scrutiny in India ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-test scheduled for June 21. Authorities are attempting to prevent the circulation of leaked examination material and misinformation related to the examination process.
According to reports, the government has directed both Google Play Store and Apple App Store to temporarily delist Telegram until June 22. In addition, Telegram has reportedly been instructed to disable its message-editing feature for previously posted content in India until June 30 to prevent manipulation of messages that could be used to fabricate evidence related to examination leaks.
Durov criticized the decision, arguing that a temporary ban affects more than 150 million Telegram users in India while doing little to stop those responsible for sharing leaked materials. He stated that restricting Telegram merely pushes such activity to other platforms rather than eliminating it.
The Telegram chief also highlighted the company’s efforts to combat misuse, claiming that hundreds of channels distributing leaked examination content and scams have been removed in recent weeks. He added that Telegram is making edited-message indicators more visible to reduce the risk of content backdating and misinformation.
Neither Telegram nor the companies named in the allegations had issued an official response at the time of reporting.
