Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh), Nov 15 (IANS): Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Saturday visited the victims of the botched up sterililisations here that claimed 13 lives and lashed out at the Raman Singh government, saying it was "trying to cover up facts".

Gandhi, who spent time with the victims in hospitals, blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party government for the tragedy.

"I know whatever happened here, the state government is responsible. They are trying to cover up facts," he said.

Gandhi said the role of the government was to provide service to people, to run hospitals efficiently and to run camps properly.

He said it was not only a case of negligence but of corruption and of fake medicines.

"The government is not accepting its responsibility. The fake medicines are being burnt. It should find out what happened," he said.

At least 13 women died following mass sterilisation at a camp in Pendari village of Bilaspur district last Saturday.

Over 70 women were also hospitalised over botched tubectomy procedures at the camp.

Gandhi, who also met families of the victims, said he was very saddened.

"I am very saddened by the things they (the people) told me," he said.

The Chhattisgarh unit of the Congress has been demanding Chief Minister Raman Singh's resignation, even as the state government has decided to institute a judicial probe into the incident.