More people died due to terrorism in NDA rule than UPA: Rahul

Kanpur, Apr 28:

Vice President

today raked up the issue of terrorism to attack

, saying nearly 22,000 people died due to the menace during the NDA regime, while there were only 800 such deaths in the UPA's last five-year tenure.

"During the NDA government's tenure, nearly 22,000 people died due to terrorism. One of their ministers went to Kandahar to plead with terrorists for the release hostages (of a hijacked Indian Airlines plane)," said Rahul Gandhi while addressing a rally here in support of party candidate Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal on the last day of campaigning.

But NDA only talk about pitting Hindus against Muslims, said Gandhi

"While during the past five years of UPA rule, only 800 people have died due to terrorism," he said. "This is the difference between them and us. Apart from trying to finish terrorism, we also talk about development. But they only talk about pitting Hindus against Muslims," he said. Mocking the Narendra Modi's Gujarat model of development, Gandhi termed it a "toffee model".

"In Gujarat, not the common man, but only industrialists close to the government have got benefits. Modi gave Adani 45,000 acres at the rate of Re 1 per metre. Adani was also given crores of rupees and electricity contract", Gandhi said.

"Similarly, the government has given loan to the Tatas at cheaper rates. Lands of poor farmers are being given to industrialists. Small industries like the ones dealing in textile and diamond-cutting are getting destroyed, but the government is not bothered. "This is the difference between Modi and us. He only thinks about industrialists, but we think about the entire nation. While Modi helped industrialists, the UPA government invested Rs 30,000 crore in MNREGA and gave employment to crores of poors," Gandhi said.

PTI