Telegram has filed a legal challenge in a New Delhi court against an Indian government order temporarily blocking access to its platform to prevent exam cheating, arguing the measure is unconstitutional and a disproportionate restriction on free speech.

The extraordinary order took effect on Tuesday, targeting channels that allegedly claim to have obtained exam papers in advance, but has sparked debate over the use of blanket bans.

In its filing on Wednesday, Telegram argued the government's action was “unconstitutional”, a “grossly disproportionate” measure, and an “overbroad restriction on the fundamental right to freedom of speech of users”.

It warned that allowing the ban to remain would “enable indiscriminate suspension of digital platforms” and amount to a “blanket shutdown” of a service used by over 150 million people in India.

The company also said the blocking order failed to consider that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of students and educators rely on Telegram for study materials and communication with coaching institutions.

Activists have long argued that the legal provision used to impose such restrictions can be used to curb free speech, although Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government claims it acts in accordance with the law and public interest.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov on Wednesday questioned the ban's effectiveness in preventing exam leaks, saying it punishes the platform's 150 million Indian users rather than “the insiders who leaked the exam materials”.

Last month, the government canceled a key undergraduate medical entrance exam (NEET) after authorities discovered questions had been leaked in advance. The leaks triggered student protests across the country and helped spawn the satirical “Cockroach Janta Party”, which called for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Telegram has grown rapidly in India, now its largest market by downloads, although WhatsApp remains the dominant messaging platform in the country.

Source: www.aljazeera.com