Ban on bulk SMS, MMS revoked with immediate effect

NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday revoked ban on bulk SMS with immediate effect. The ban on bulk sms was to expire on Friday. Ban on bulk SMSes and MMSes withdrawn with immediate effect, home ministry said in a statement. The ban was imposed on August 17, after reports emerged that threatening SMS-es were being sent to students from the North-East in cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad. It was aimed at checking the spread of rumours, which had fuelled panic.

The ban came into force after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that spread of rumours by miscreants had led to people belonging to the north east to flee from Bangalore, Pune and some other parts of the country.

Noting that the guilty should be brought to book, the Prime Minister said that at stake was not just unity and integrity of the country, but also communal harmony.

"Any miscreant fanning rumours should be brought to book," he said.