Will oppose you too: What CJP protest sensation Md Irfan told Rahul Gandhi
He has no political affiliation and has had no formal education. However, among the sea of protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, Mohammad Irfan, a hawker
He has no political affiliation and has had no formal education. However, among the sea of protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, Mohammad Irfan, a hawker, captured India's attention for his unfiltered views on everyday struggles of labourers and the underprivileged. As videos of Irfan from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest -- in which he was seen reciting the Preamble and verses by the Urdu poet Ahmad Faraz -- went viral, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi met him on Monday. Irfan told Rahul that he would not hesitate to protest against him if the Leader of the Opposition failed to keep his promises. Read Full Story In a wide-ranging interview with India Today's sister outlet, The Lallantop, Irfan opened up about his discussion with Rahul, his own experiences of poverty, the challenges faced by labourers, and why he would like to meet Home Minister Amit Shah before Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rahul Gandhi during his meeting with Mohammad Irfan on Monday WHAT MOHAMMAD IRFAN TOLD RAHUL GANDHI? Irfan said he reminded the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) that he too could be in power one day. Keeping that in mind, Irfan said he urged Rahul to work for the welfare of migrant and daily wage labourers across the country. However, Irfan had a blunt message for Rahul -- if he broke his promises, he too would face protests.
"I told him that even if he goes against his promises, we will oppose him and hit the streets. I am neutral and want the good of this country. If the country is doing well, then all the people should get basic facilities. No one should be deprived," Irfan said. Such emotive and grounded remarks by Irfan are what made him an unlikely Internet sensation. Dressed in white with a gamcha around his neck, Irfan unexpectedly became one of the defining voices of the protest over exam paper leaks, which ultimately resulted in the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last week. A resident of Delhi's Sawda JJ Colony, Irfan said he raised the issue of the growing number of suicides by labourers with Rahul. "As per the 2024 NCRB data, 177,746 people died by suicide. 31% of them were daily-wage labourers. A major reason was economic hardship and mental stress," he said. "How can we ignore the people whose sweat and blood build this country?" he said. Irfan also flagged that while government records mention a minimum monthly wage of Rs 18,000, several workers receive only Rs 13,000-14,000 despite working 10-11 hours a day. He also pointed out loopholes in the education system, flagging the increasing number of student dropouts before Class 10 or Class 12.
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