Former Loyola student Apeksha Priyadarshini confronts police in viral video

Hyderabad: Few know that Apeksha Priyadarshini, the JNU student who stood up to Delhi police on January 6, was a former student of Loyola Academy, Hyderabad. Her video, wherein she confronts Delhi police for entering the university campus, allegedly without permission, has been going viral on social media.

The JNU Students’ Union convenor had questioned Delhi police on January 6, when they had re-entered the university campus again at 1 am, in an attempt to conduct a flag march. Speaking to NewsMeter, she said, “The Delhi police wanted to hold a flag march at 1 in the morning, after all the violence and the goons had escaped. Students were protesting at the main gate. Our main demand to the police was to show us the orders: whether they had the permission to enter the campus then. They refused to show us anything.”

The doctoral student had sustained a hand injury in the attack by students affiliated to ABVP on JNU students, which happened on January 4, while students were attacked on January 5 as well. At least 28 students of JNU have been injured in the violence.

She further added that the Delhi police had categorically stated that “students can’t do anything about this” and that they need to approach the court, regarding police entry into the campus. In the video that has been doing the rounds on social media, Apeksha is found asking the Special Commissioner of Police, “It’s not the police’s job to tell us to go to court… Won’t you show the order to us? No, because you don’t have it with you.”

“You are not supposed to make mistakes. It’s not like you have been given free-reign over here, and you can’t make us run to court every time for a solution… The need is ours because the campus is ours. You are a public servant, and you are supposed to serve the public. This is your duty. So do not do a dereliction of duty,” said Apeksha, while questioning the police.

Apeksha Priyadarshini, who is currently pursuing her PhD in Film Studies, was a former student of Loyola Academy, Hyderabad. She belonged to the 2009-’12 batch in Mass Communication at the college.