Telegram challenging Indian government order that temporarily blocks its use

NEW DELHI: Messaging app Telegram has filed a petition in a New Delhi court challenging an Indian government order that has temporarily blocked use of the platform in an effort to prevent exam fraud, a legal news website reported on Wednesday.

The extraordinary order blocking the app came into effect on Tuesday in an attemptto curb fraud channels claiming to have the question paper in advance, but has generated divided opinions on such blanket bans.

The lawyers for Telegram mentioned their challenge before a judge at the Delhi High Court on Wednesday who then agreed to take up Telegram’s petition shortly, local media reports said.

Telegram did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov on Wednesday questioned the effecteveness of the ban in stopping leaks and said it is instead a punishment for Telegram’s 150 million Indian viewers and “not the insiders who leaked the exam materials”.

Last month, the Indian government cancelled a key undergraduate entrance exam for medical colleges after authorities said they were investigating allegations that its questions had been leaked.

The alleged question paper leak of the medical entrance exam, which is taken by 2.3 million students, led to protests in various parts of India and demands for the resignation of Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The restriction on Telegram was issued under an Indian IT law provision that allows the government to block access to internet apps in the “interest of sovereignty and integrity of India”.