New Delhi, Oct. 20 -- Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday alleged that the replacement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with VB-G RAM G was a "surgical strike" on the social safety net protecting rural India, citing reports of alleged irregularities in employment records and workers' wages in Maharashtra.

In a post on X, Ramesh said Beed and other districts in Maharashtra were facing their worst drought in a decade and alleged that the replacement of MGNREGA had weakened the support available to rural workers during times of distress.

"Beed and other districts in Maharashtra are facing the worst drought in a decade. MGNREGA was the guarantee of support in such times of extreme distress. But it...