NEW DELHI: Bitchat, the internet-free messaging app at the centre of a govt crackdown, has continued to gain traction in India despite authorities ordering GitHub to remove its source code repository and civil liberty groups challenging the move as unconstitutional.

The order targets Bitchat, an offline Bluetooth mesh app built to relay encrypted messages and bitcoin transactions, as 'Cockroach Janta Party' protesters in Delhi use mesh tools…

Bitchat passes messages from phone to phone over Bluetooth Low Energy, up to seven hops, and needs no phone number, account or internet connection.

Government orders GitHub to block Bitchat amid Delhi protests, raising concerns over digital rights and internet freedom.

The government has ordered GitHub to remove the Bitchat application. This offline messaging app may be misused by criminal and terrorist groups. The order cited concerns about…