New Delhi: Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Friday accused the Narendra Modi government of “cruelly neglecting” the MGNREGA and the Food Security Act, saying the two legislations were brought by the previous UPA government to put an end to hunger deaths like that of the three minor girls in Delhi.

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a social security employment generation legislation which guarantees employment to the poor ensuring livelihood security and the National Food Security Act aims to provide subsidised food grains to the poor.

“MGNREGA was intended to put an end to hunger. Food Security Act was intended to put an end to starvation. Both have been cruelly neglected by the BJP government,” Mr Chidambaram tweeted.

The former finance said as long as there were children who tragically starved to death, “we have to hang our heads in shame and grief”. Three minor girls died allegedly due to starvation in east Delhi on Tuesday leading to a huge uproar.