Kashipur (Uttarakhand), April 29 (IANS) Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Tuesday attacked the BJP, saying more people died due to terrorism during the NDA regime than during the Congress tenure.

“We have statistics to prove we produced more electricity and curbed terrorism (than the BJP),” Gandhi said at an election rally here.

“During the five years of BJP rule, 22,000 people lost their lives. During the Kandahar (Afghanistan) hijacking (of 1999), top BJP leaders stood in a line and gave the terrorists whatever they wanted,” he said, adding it was this incident which led to the attack on parliament.

Gandhi said compared to this, only 800 people died during Congress rule.

He said there were two reasons for this. “One that they (BJP) bowed in front of terrorists and the second, they practised the religion of hate.”

“This is the difference between us and them. Uttarakhand provides strength to the country by sending people to the armed forces,” he said, adding it was the Congress which implemented “one rank, one pension” during its regime.

“The Congress government is for love and brotherhood and taking everybody along,” he added.

Asserting the Congress was not against industrialists or industrialisation, he said: “We are not against industries or industrialists. We are just saying that there should be partnership between the poor people and the industrialists.”