All party leaders on Monday met the district collector, Mr Ramshankar Naik, and protested that they will not be cowed down from the basic right to protest.

TD district president Somireddy Venkateswa-rlu, CPI(M) central committee member Gafoor, state committee member Shadrak, district secretary Prabhakar Reddy, CPI town secretary Rasool, district secretary Prabhakar Reddy and YSRC leaders T.V. Krishna Reddy and others met the collector and faulted him for banning protests in front of the collectorate. They said that the protest programme of contract lecturers was not going to the notice of government due to the collector’s decision.

They also found fault with government registering cases against leaders of peoples’ and student unions for staging a protest for the cause of B.Ed candidates recently.

They said that agitations were organised only to highlight problems. Responding to this, the collector said that he had no objections to protests organised peacefully and objected only when the protestors resorted to attacks and vandalism. “Just as people have the right to protest, we have to perform our duty to protect the properties of people,” the collector told the leaders.

He said that he would reconsider his decision. The leaders said that they will launch an agitation if they were not allowed to protest in front of the collectorate.