The home ministry has asked department of telecommunications to implement an order through the telecom operators to restrict the sending of more than 5 sms at one go from the same source.

However, various telecom operators have used this as a reason to implement unreasonable discriminatory restrictions on SMS usage including.

- Pre-paid users are being allowed to send only 5 SMSs per day

- There is no option to send more text messages even for a cost

- Only pre-paid users are being discriminated against, Post paid users are not being restricted

While most users have already paid for booster packs, rate cutters there is no effort from the operators to compensate users. There is no formal notification on the DOT or the TRAI website which is adding to the confusion.

For many consumers, who depend on SMSes for regular communication, the ban has come as a blow, crippling normal communication.

We therefore are asking you to immediately lift the 5 SMS a day ban; We are equally concerned about national security, we request you to implement alternate methods of blocking only those spreading rumors irrespective of whether they are prepaid or postpaid users.