A routine police check in Delhi's Nizamuddin area sparked a controversy on Friday after a video circulating on social media showed people allegedly carrying food being stopped by police on their way to a protest site.

In the video, when those present questioned the reason for the detention, a police officer was heard saying, “Wo khaana lekar jaa rahe the (They were carrying food)". The remark led to allegations online that the police were preventing food from reaching protesters.

Delhi Police, however, rejected the allegations, calling them “false and misleading”.

In a statement, the police said no food was stopped from reaching the protest site and that personnel were carrying out routine picket checking and verification at the checkpoint.

According to the police, the verification was part of standard security measures and was not aimed at restricting the movement of food or other supplies.

The police maintained that the claims circulating on social media misrepresented the purpose of the checking.