At the CPU's biennial conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, the ICR, presented by K N Shantha Kumar, noted that Justice Sawant had recently stated that the ``influence wielded by the proprietors who used newspapers as a business was a major source of danger to the freedom of the press in India.''

The ICR noted with concern that the PCI had set up a committee to study the management and ownership structure of newspapers, which ``is clearly outside the purview of its powers and responsibilities.'' The report added that ``deciding the nature and structure is implicit in the freedom of the citizens whose proprietorial rights arelegally guaranteed and the relationship between the editor and the proprietor is a self-defining one, regulated by its own demands and conventions. Any attempt by the PCI to lay down rules in these areas can only be viewed as a threat to press freedom.''

In a related development, reports PTI, Justice Sawant today took strong objection to the IPI making ``peremptory verdicts'' on the council's powers and mandate on the basis of ``misinformation''.

Replying to the IPI statement urging the PCI, ``to refrain from interfering in matters that should be determined by the market and the law of the land,'' the PCI chairman said, ``We have not reached a stage where we have to learn the law of our land and the mandate of the Press Council Act from others.''