The Congress has gone into damage control mode after questions over Rahul Gandhi's claims of bodies burnt and women raped at greater Noida's Bhatta and Parsaul villages, the epicentre of the farmer protests.Rahul, after meeting the Prime Minister on Monday, had generated much political heat with his claims about the Uttar Pradesh government's alleged atrocities in the villages."74 stacks of hay were set on fire. There were bones in them. Women too were raped," Mr Gandhi had said.But today, Congress spokesperson Janardan Dwivedi said Rahul had been misquoted by the media."Mr Rahul had said that there was a 70-foot diameter mound of ashes. That's what he said. And I don't know how 70 became 74 and ashes became bodies. This is a very serious matter. What has been printed or broadcasted, we deny it 100 per cent. I've checked thoroughly, I suggest you do too and look at the footage," Mr Dwivedi said. ( Watch He, however, added that the party has called for a thorough investigation into the incidents.The startling claims were backed with pictures which Rahul claimed were taken by farmers and journalists in the villages.But the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) questioned the authenticity of the photographs released by Rahul Gandhi to back his charge; the villagers stopped short of saying there were rapes and killings."There was no rape in our village. Four innocent were, however, badly beaten," said one of the villagers.The forensic probe results are still awaited. But a stung Chief Minister Mayawati has ruled out killing of agitators as a theory most preposterous.Her denial was reflected in the police action."We wanted to ascertain if explosive were stored in the village. We took the sample and will seek the permission of the court and send it to the CFSL," said Rajnikant Mishra, Inspector General, Meerut Zone.But senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh backs Mr Gandhi's claims about the alleged torture. "That is why we are demanding a judicial enquiry from day one," he said.But for villagers, these are tense moments. Babita has not heard from her husband and children in 10 days.Struggling alone, her fears seem to have acquired some kind of a conviction in Rahul Gandhi's claim, though hers is a lone voice."The police shot a man. He was dying. There were no men around. The women tried to help him. But the police took him away and threw him in a fire. I saw this," she said.

Even almost 10 days later, most of the men of the village have not returned as most fear of being arrested. In light of that and the many missing, an analysis of these burnt hay stacks may now offer some clue if any of them were victims of police action.