By the time Mohammad Irfan finished speaking, Rajat Pandey was left with goosebumps. The Lallantop journalist had arrived at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar to cover the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protest, expecting the usual mix of slogans, speeches and political drama. But in the aftermath of the July 20 security crackdown, a young man in a blue T-shirt approached him and quietly transformed the narrative.
"I literally had goosebumps while he was speaking," Pandey told India Today Digital. "People often make ideological arguments, but Irfan wasn't performing. He had lived everything he spoke about. That's why he never hesitated or fumbled," he said.
Calling it "the best interview of my career," Pandey, whose publication is part of the India Today Group, reflected the reaction shared by countless viewers online. Those who watched Irfan's interview described feeling emotional and astonished.
What stood out most was that Mohammad Irfan had never attended school. The 35-year-old hawker from a Delhi slum educated himself through Google's voice search. Along with discussing democracy and labour rights with remarkable clarity, he even recited verses from Bhagat Singh's poetry.
Within hours, clips of Irfan talking about democracy, dignity, labour rights and India's education system spread rapidly across social media. A man who had never stepped inside a classroom was explaining the Constitution with a depth that amazed journalists, politicians and millions of viewers.
While the CJP movement may have found its mascot in Abhijeet Dipke, the satirical online group's most lasting discovery could be Mohammad Irfan, a daily-wage hawker from Delhi's Sawda JJ Colony who unexpectedly became the moral voice of a protest that was never centred on him.
His popularity soared to the point that on Monday evening, Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, visited him. According to Irfan, Rahul Gandhi also connected him with his sister and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi over a phone call and invited him to Parliament.
LIFE OF MOHAMMAD IRFAN BEYOND JANTAR MANTAR
After Irfan's interview went viral, The Lallantop team travelled to Sawda JJ Colony, convinced by Pandey that the story extended far beyond the protest site.
They found a modest, unfinished house with no proper ceiling and incomplete construction. Before the journalists entered, Irfan sprayed perfume inside, apologetically explaining that the smell from the nearby animals might otherwise overwhelm his guests.
For many viewers, the most striking aspect of Irfan's home is not poverty itself but how deeply normalised it has become.
This is where the internet's newest political voice returns every evening after selling ice to earn around Rs 500 a day.
"I earn Rs 500 a day. If there's a medical emergency, who will take responsibility? How can someone study? How can anyone wear clean clothes while surviving on just Rs 500 a day?" Irfan asked, his eyes filling with tears.
For him, these were not rhetorical questions but the harsh realities of everyday life. He simply spoke from lived experience in a way that resonated with the country's struggles, hopes and aspirations.
MOHAMMAD IRFAN'S FIGHT FOR LABOUR RIGHTS
Irfan repeatedly stressed that he never joined the Jantar Mantar protest in search of fame. His motivation, he said, was that no one speaks for India's blue-collar workers.
"Nobody talks about the labour force and their misery," he told The Lallantop. "Labourers can't afford to protest because missing one day of work means losing one day's income."
He also spoke confidently about labour laws and worker exploitation, arguing that labourers should receive a minimum monthly wage of Rs 18,000 for an eight-hour workday.
"The labour laws are no longer strict. People are made to work for 12 to 14 hours while earning only Rs 12,000 or Rs 13,000. With rising inflation, workers aren't being paid according to their hard work," he said. "People can't even protest because there is always someone willing to replace them at those wages."
Irfan also revealed that he had participated in several demonstrations, including Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2024.
"I travelled from Delhi to Kashmir during Rahul Gandhi's Padayatra," he said, adding that he had not joined any other protest led by Rahul Gandhi.
The internet was particularly impressed by someone without formal education discussing wages, inflation, labour rights, and both direct and indirect taxation with such confidence.
IRFAN LEARNED ABOUT DEMOCRACY AND THE CONSTITUTION THROUGH GOOGLE
Perhaps the most remarkable part of Irfan's story is not what he says but how he learned it. He never completed primary school and admits he cannot read, write or type on a smartphone.
"I only attended an anganwadi centre in my slum for basic education. I can't read or write," he confessed.
Instead, he relies on Google's voice search to learn.
He jokingly describes Google, YouTube and the internet as his university, saying online videos and searches helped him understand the Constitution, democracy and public policy.
His widely shared remarks reflected that self-taught education.
"In a democracy, there should not be arrogance," he told The Lallantop at Jantar Mantar. "There should be dialogue, and both the government and protesters should keep the doors to dialogue open."
Speaking after the July 20 police crackdown, he also referred to activist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike.
"If this government had simply come with coconut water... The UPA government offered coconut water to Anna Hazare. The British even offered it to Mahatma Gandhi. This government could also have chosen dialogue," he said.
He then quoted the Constitution.
"The Constitution talks about protecting every individual's dignity while preserving the unity and integrity of the nation. A person's dignity should never be compromised."
Delivered without notes or prepared remarks, his words spread across millions of screens.
IRFAN'S TAKE ON GST
During the interview, Irfan also made a statement that struck many viewers: "Just having a full stomach is not life."
He explained that people need disposable income to improve their lives.
"Even if someone earns Rs 500 a day, GST is still collected. There are direct taxes and indirect taxes," he said.
For Irfan, the issue goes beyond taxation. It is about dignity. He believes poverty is defined not only by earnings but also by whether people can educate their children, maintain self-respect and cope with emergencies.
WHEN RAHUL GANDHI MET MOHAMMAD IRFAN
Irfan's viral videos eventually caught the attention of national leaders. Rahul Gandhi visited his home and invited him and his family to Parliament for further discussions.
A glimpse of Irfan's humility emerged when Rahul Gandhi's security personnel initially stopped The Lallantop's Rajat Pandey from entering the house. Irfan immediately intervened, saying, "Please let Rajat bhai come inside. I'm nothing without him."
During the meeting, Rahul Gandhi also connected him with Priyanka Gandhi over the phone.
"I told Priyanka Gandhi about the problems faced by labourers," Irfan later told The Lallantop.
"I told Rahul Gandhi that I don't want anything for myself. I only asked him to fight for the labourers and poor people of this country," he added.
Political movements often produce new leaders, but rarely do they bring forth such authentic voices.
The CJP protest is likely to be remembered for eventually leading to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation after weeks of demonstrations. Abhijeet Dipke emerged as its organiser, Sonam Wangchuk became its moral face, and Gen Z symbolised its energy.
Yet, amid the slogans, placards and political messaging, Mohammad Irfan stood apart. He is neither a student leader nor an activist or politician. He is a labourer who never attended school, cannot type on a phone and earns around Rs 500 a day selling ice.
Still, in a movement dominated by educated students and social media influencers, it was his words that resonated the most. Perhaps that is because Irfan was never speaking about ideology. He was speaking about survival, becoming the unexpected voice of countless workers who labour the hardest, earn the least and are rarely heard.
