Moscow, April 23: Russian telecom watchdog Roskomnadzor said on Sunday that it has banned a number of Google IP addresses that allow instant messaging service Telegram to escape blockage in Russia over user data disputes.

"Google failed to meet the requirements of Roskomnadzor and in violation of a court verdict continued to allow Telegram to use its IP addresses to carry out activities in Russia," Roskomnadzor said in a statement, Xinhua reported.

On Monday, Roskomnadzor began blocking Telegram in accordance with a court decision due to the messenger's refusal to provide encryption keys necessary to decode user data.

However, Telegram managed to bypass the blocking and continued its activities using IP addresses belonging to Google and other technology companies.

After the Russian watchdog later began to block the IPs as well, users lost connection to Telegram on Sunday.

The disputes over the ban go back to a long-term battle between Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and Telegram.

The FSB has been demanding access to messages on Telegram on the suspicion that it was used to organize terrorist activities, including a deadly metro bomb attack in Russia's second-largest city of St. Petersburg last April.

Telegram, which is popular among Russian people and organizations including the Kremlin, refused to comply with the demand, citing privacy laws.

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New Delhi, Apr 19 (PTI): The BJP on Saturday disassociated itself with the sharp criticism of the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna by its MPs Nishikant Dubey and Dinesh Sharma, with party president J P Nadda rejecting the comments as their personal views.

"The BJP has nothing to do with the comments of MPs Nishikant Dubey and Dinesh Sharma on the judiciary and the chief justice. This is their personal comments, but the BJP neither agrees with them nor does it ever support such remarks. The BJP absolutely rejects them," Nadda said in a post on X.

He said the BJP has always respected the judiciary and has accepted its suggestions and orders gladly because it believes as a party all the courts, including the apex court, are an inseparable part of our democracy.

Nadda also said that he has directed both the leaders and others to not make such comments.

Fourth-term BJP MP Dubey, one of the more vocal party members in the Lok Sabha, launched a broadside against the Supreme Court earlier, saying Parliament and state assemblies should be closed down if the apex court has to make the laws.

He also took a swipe at CJI Khanna.