Reliance Jio has denied allegations of involvement in a BGP hijacking incident after Telegram CEO Pavel Durov claimed the telecom operator disrupted access to the app in parts of the world. Jio said it operates under global routing standards and dismissed any wrongdoing. Experts also questioned claims of intentional sabotage, calling them technically unlikely.

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.