The Gurugram Police said on Friday, 26 January, that none of those detained in connection with two acts of vandalism on Wednesday, 24 January, were Muslims.
The police had to issue a clarification following viral social media message claiming that at least five persons arrested by the police on Thursday, 25 January, were Muslims.
Police arrested 18 people in connection with the attack on a bus belonging to GD Goenka school and the torching of a Haryana roadways bus.
A video of the incident showed teachers and students cowering in fear as the school bus speeds off to safety.
“This is to clarify that no Muslims boys have been detained in relation to the recent acts of vandalism on a Haryana Roadways bus and a School bus in Gurugram,” Gurugram Police said on Twitter.
Twitter was abuzz with rumours about Muslim names among those arrested. Some verified handles, too, shared the rumours.
Seven of those arrested are juvenile, who will be produced before a juvenile court. The remaining have been sent to 14 days judicial custody.
Violence erupted in parts of Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, J-K, Gujarat and Delhi over the release of the film ‘Padmaavat’. The protesters claim that the movie distorts Rajput history.