New Delhi, 2 August

Mohammad Irfan, the 35-year-old Delhi hawker who recently became an internet sensation after a viral interview from the NEET paper leak protests at Jantar Mantar, has appealed to YouTube after the platform abruptly terminated his newly launched channel despite its rapid growth.

Irfan, a resident of Delhi's Sawda JJ Colony, shot to prominence after an interview with The Lallantop in which he spoke about democracy, the Constitution, labour rights and the struggles of working-class Indians. Despite having no formal education, he said he educates himself using Google voice search. His remarks earned widespread praise online, and he later met Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi following the viral success of the interview.

With support from journalist Ajit Anjum, Irfan launched his YouTube channel, @mohirfanofficial, on Friday. The channel reportedly crossed 26,000 subscribers within hours and later surged past 70,000 before YouTube terminated it on Saturday morning.

In a video appeal, Irfan said the channel had complied with YouTube's policies and suggested the removal may have resulted from an automated error. He urged the platform to restore the account, maintaining that he had not violated any community guidelines.

The takedown triggered criticism on social media, with supporters questioning YouTube's moderation process and pointing to the presence of alleged copycat channels that remained active.