Bengaluru, June 7 : Karnataka BJP on Friday claimed that the visit of Rahul Gandhi to party headquarters in the state was aimed at covering up the Tribal Welfare Board scam.

The BJP also targeted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, saying that such a large-scale misappropriation would not have been possible without his knowledge.

'Rahul Gandhi and the Congress government in Karnataka have looted money which belongs to Dalits. Did you come here to secure the resignation of this government? Will you get the resignation of Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Chairman, Congress MLA Basavaraj Daddal'? former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayan told media persons.

'Will you expel him from the party? Will you get him arrested? Will you expel the Minister for Medical Education, Sharan Prakash Patil, who held a meeting to destroy evidence of the scandal? There seems to be a big network behind the scandal, and everyone seems to be beneficiaries. After committing the crime, the government has struggled to obtain the resignation of former minister B. Nagendra. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will arrest him soon,' he said.

He said that the entire Congress government is mired in corruption and the money for the Dalit has been transferred illegally to other states.

'If Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has any morality and respect, he should tender his resignation immediately. Without his consent and knowledge, how is it possible to transfer such a huge amount from the state's treasury'? Ashwath Narayan said.

BJP MLA Chalawadi Narayanaswamy also said that it is impossible for the scandal to take place without the knowledge of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and demanded that the CBI should also investigate the Chief Minister.

'The Chief Minister projects himself as a lover of Dalits but has failed to protect them. If not for BJP's organised agitations, the case would have been hushed up. The Dalits are being betrayed by Dalits. Dalit ministers are being used to cheat Dalits,' Narayanaswamy said.

/IANS