Indian Origin Man Clarifies Stance Over Post On 'Free Food', Claims Racial Bias

Days after an Indian-origin man in Canada named Mehul Prajapati became the target of social media hate attacks and faced vicious trolling, it now emerges that it was a case of misinformation combined with a falsely sensationalised account of the actual situation.

Prajapati, who is on a student visa in Canada, reached out to news website IndiaToday.In to set the record straight.

Prajapati's ordeal began when he shared a video of how he accessed free food for students at his university so that he could save money. The video shows multiple bags of groceries containing fruits, vegetables and some canned goods as well. The 26-year-old, who hails from Ahmedabad, has said his aim was to help fellow students by sharing experiences of his life in Canada.

While the now-deleted video did not garner much attention after Prajapati posted it on his Instagram page, it was only after an X user, @Slatzism, shared it that it triggered a wave of backlash. In a case that highlights the dark side of social media, Prajapati was immediately flooded with hate messages and labelled a "thief" and “freeloader”.

"This guy has a job as a bank data scientist for @TD_Canada, a position that averages $98,000 per year, and proudly uploaded this video showing how much "free food" he gets from charity food banks. you don’t hate them enough," the X user who shared the post on the microblogging platform said.

However, the facts the have emerged indicate Prajapati was not an employee of TD Bank. In fact, he had only interned there for a few weeks.

While sharing his story with IndiaToday.In, Prajapati said it wasn't possible for him to have worked full-time with TD Bank because he was on a student visa.

He arrived in Canada in 2022 on a student visa to pursue a master's degree at Wilfrid Laurier University. The university, in collaboration with Laurier Students' Public Interest Research Group (LSPIRG) and Martin Luther University College, provides free groceries for students facing food insecurity.

Prajapati said his intention was to inform students about university food banks, not to steal resources. "My aim was to help students, not take from others."

The unexpected fallout of the video has taken a toll on the youngster.

"For the past six days, I've stayed indoors due to mental stress caused by hurtful comments. These accounts are spreading rumours without solid proof, targeting a specific group. It's discrimination and racial bullying, and I'm a victim of it," Prajapati concluded.