An American influencer, Andrew Branca, is facing severe backlash for mocking the death of Prashant Sreekumar, an Indian-origin man who died in a Canadian hospital. Sreekumar, 44, passed away in Edmonton, Canada, after reportedly being left unattended for over eight hours at Grey Nuns Community Hospital.
Sreekumar was admitted to the hospital on December 22 after experiencing severe chest pain while at work. His family stated that despite his condition, hospital staff informed them that his ECG results showed no significant issues and asked them to wait. During this time, Sreekumar was given Tylenol, but his blood pressure continued to rise. Although nurses later attempted to resuscitate him, he ultimately died.
In response to the news of Sreekumar's death, Branca posted on X, referring to Sreekumar as "another Indian invader of Canada". He further added, "I note that she and her husband could have easily avoided the shty Canadian healthcare by staying in Mumbai and enjoying the shty Indian healthcare". Branca also shared a graph on net immigration to Canada from 1952 to 2025 without citing any source.
Branca, who identifies himself on X as an attorney "providing pro-America, pro-Constitution, pro-Western civilisation political and legal analysis," has a history of posting anti-India content. His recent comment on Sreekumar's death has sparked widespread outrage online.
Social media users have condemned Branca's remarks as insensitive and hateful. One user wrote, "A man died and all you can think of is hate and dancing on his grave. You're a despicable, disgusting excuse of a man". Another commented, "Shame on you for mocking dead people… Karma will make you pay". Another user said, "I pity your life. On Christmas, mocking the dead. May lord bless you".
Branca has responded to the criticism defiantly. In one instance, when a user called his post vile, Branca retorted, "Millions of people die every day. Life goes on. Someone with a greater than 76 IQ would know this".
The incident has drawn attention to the issue of healthcare accessibility and quality in Canada, as well as the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment online. The circumstances surrounding Sreekumar's death are currently under scrutiny.
