The President of National Union of Journalists Ashok Malik has issued a stern warning that assaults on Press freedom will not be tolerated. In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Bangalore Turf Club, the copies of which have been mailed to the Press Council of India, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Principal Secretary, Finance Department among others, Malik has said that ``the National Union of Journalists (India), which is the largest unit of working Journalists in India, is shocked to note the harassment of a reporter for doing his duty by your club. Let me bring it to your notice that the media have a responsibility to give a fair and impartial account of happenings and the background thereof to the public at large. All responsible organs of society have a duty to help them in this process. The Bangalore Turf Club as a responsible corporate citizen is therefore duty-bound to allow access and all other help to bona fide reporters. Preventing a journalist from doing his duty is an act of bad faith``.

``One of our senior members, Mr B R Sharan Kumar has brought to our notice certain unhappy developments at Bangalore turf club including denial of facilities to journalists in discharging their duties. He has complained that the management of the Bangalore Turf Club has set up roadblocks to him in discharging his professional obligations,`` Malik has said.

`Mr Sharan Kumar has more than 38 years of journalistic experience which includes 16- years in the Indian Express. He has a vast knowledge of the nuances of horse racing. His columns and comments have a wide readership that stretches beyond the boundaries of our country. He is a long-time member of our constituent unit, National Union of Journalists, Karnataka. We have taken serious note of the threats he has received from the Club staff at the behest of the Bangalore Turf Club management,`` he has added.

The National Union of Journalists is a Delhi based organisation. Malik has expressed confidence that the Bangalore Turf Club authorities will realize that a journalist must be true to his readers and as a responsible corporate citizen, the organisation will do everything at its command in helping the journalists to do their duty to the best professional standards of fairness and probity. ``We hereby call upon you to remove all unacceptable restrictions you have imposed on our senior member. We trust you will act in a fair manner, Mr Malik has said.

Ashok Malik has also said that if BTC does not relent, aggressive measures would be taken up to ensure that they fall in line. The BTC cannot be taking undemocratic decisions and hope to get away, he has warned. He has expressed surprise how the Managing Committee could take these measures and how the senior members could remain silent under the circumstances.