Mehul Prajapati, an International Student in Canada of Indian descent who has been studying in Canada for almost two years, encountered severe criticism from social media users following his posting of a video detailing his utilization of his university’s food bank for acquiring groceries without charge.
The backlash ensued when several users on the platform X circulated his video, alleging that he maintains employment at a Canadian bank while simultaneously availing himself of “free food” designated for students.
Prajapati, has since removed the video, which gained substantial traction across various social platforms such as TikTok, Reddit, and X. In the clip, he espoused, “You can take as much as you want…This has been very helpful to me as a student. This is how I save hundreds of bucks every month in food and groceries,” prompting users to scrutinize the ethicality of students resorting to food banks to alleviate financial strains.
The narrative swiftly spiraled as erroneous assertions surfaced, purporting Prajapati as a data analyst at TD Bank with an annual income of $98,000. This narrative crumbled under scrutiny, revealing Prajapati’s brief internship tenure of 17 weeks at the bank, which concluded in December 2023, as reported by Moneycontrol.
Contrary to sensationalized claims in headlines both in India and Canada, TD clarified that Prajapati was not “sacked” by the bank, as he wasn’t employed with TD when the video surfaced. Lisa Bodnar, TD’s spokesperson, reiterated, “The individual identified in the video is not a current TD employee and to our knowledge was not employed with TD at the time the video was posted,” as cited by Canadian daily The Record.
Meanwhile, amidst the uproar, Wilfrid Laurier University’s dean of students has pledged to investigate the matter and engage directly with Prajapati, who has borne the brunt of online vitriol.
“The online abuse directed at our student is malicious and harmful,” Laurier expressed in a statement to The Record, underscoring their commitment to providing necessary support to Prajapati.
In the wake of incessant online backlash, Prajapati, also a proficient musician, opted to deactivate all his social media profiles. Reflecting on the ordeal, he lamented, “Nobody seemed to want to hear my side; they just believed false things about me that ruined the reputation I worked 25 years to build, all in just a few moments,” in an interview with Moneycontrol.
Resolute in clarifying his intentions, Prajapati asserted that the video aimed to illuminate struggling students about available resources for combating food insecurity. Reflecting on the ordeal, he remarked, “This experience taught me a hard lesson: Not everything you see on the internet is true. Often, the real story is very different from what people assume. This the dark side of social media and internet either can make you hero or zero in a click of time.”
Ajay Kumar