In a new development, Reliance Jio has issued a statement denying all allegations on the BGP hijacking row. It moved swiftly to distance itself from a fast-moving controversy that linked India's largest telecom operator to an alleged internet routing attack on Telegram, as the messaging app's founder doubled down on accusations that have drawn in some of the biggest names in global tech.
In a terse but pointed statement posted on X, Jio said. "Recent posts on X have led to speculation regarding Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (AS55836) and a BGP route misconfiguration. We categorically clarify that Jio has not been involved in any such incident. Jio continues to operate its network in accordance with global Internet routing best practices and the highest standards of reliability, security, and transparency."
The clarification was a direct response to explosive claims made a day earlier by Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov. In an X post, Durov alleged that Indian telecom operator Reliance was 'sabotaging access to Telegram for millions of users OUTSIDE India (including the UAE)' through a 'rogue method called BGP hijacking', claiming the disruption appeared intentional because Reliance had 'ignored multiple reports.'
Durov did not stop at technical allegations. He suggested that the alleged sabotage 'may be part of a competitive war,' pointing to Reliance's relationship with Meta - the parent company of WhatsApp, Telegram's principal rival. He went further, advising network operators worldwide to reject unauthorised BGP announcements from Reliance and stating he 'wouldn't be surprised' if Reliance and WhatsApp were behind lobbying efforts to ban Telegram in India.
The allegations carry some financial context. Meta holds a 9.99 percent stake in Reliance Industries-owned Jio, which it acquired for $5.7 billion in 2020. The companies have also announced a joint venture to build enterprise AI solutions and a partnership to develop an AI data centre in Gujarat.
However, industry sources and independent researchers were quick to complicate Durov's narrative. A senior telecom industry source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Durov appeared to have conflated two separate companies - Reliance Communications and Reliance Industries' telecom arm, Jio. Notably, the autonomous system number Durov cited in his technical evidence - AS18101 - differs from Jio's own AS number, AS55836, which Jio specifically highlighted in its denial.
Network researchers also challenged the intent behind the incident. Anurag Bhatia, a network researcher and BGP routing expert, disputed claims that the incident was intentional, saying: "I think it was a mistake and it doesn't make any technical sense as an intentional mistake."
Jio's statement highlights the complexity of attributing routing incidents, as internet traffic often traverses multiple interconnected networks before reaching its destination. For now, India's largest telecom operator has firmly denied any wrongdoing, and the technical evidence remains contested.
Telegram ban in India: What is going on?
India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology ordered a temporary block on Telegram until June 22, following a recommendation from the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the NEET examination. The move came after allegations that Telegram channels were being used to circulate claims of leaked question papers for the May 3 exam and the June 21 re-examination, with several channels allegedly demanding money from students and parents in exchange for purported access to papers.
Durov pushed back strongly, arguing the ban 'punishes 150 million+ ordinary Telegram users in India, not the insiders who leaked the exam materials,' and that the leaked content had simply migrated to other platforms.
