Opposition leaders accused Mahadevapura BJP MLA Aravind Limbavali of using government aid delivery for self-publicity.

A day after photographs emerged showing pictures of Limbavali, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa pasted above the labour department’s labels, former chief minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy tweeted: “Vote mongering by some BJP leaders in times of pandemic.” “Shameless individual (conducting) publicity campaign on Government’s relief materials to construction workers,” Kumaraswamy further said, attacking Limbavali.

He sought the prime minister’s intervention to stop the politicisation of relief materials. “Is the prime minister, who has not said anything so far on his party leaders communalising the virus, okay with some of his party leaders politicising the government’s relief materials,” he asked, saying such pettiness was worse than the disease itself.

DH could not reach Limbavali for comments. An assistant who promised to get his response also failed to do so. Activists have written to the labour department, pointing at instances where some leaders usurped the relief materials for personal publicity.

Sources said P Manivannan, principal secretary at the labour department, brought the issue to the government’s notice.

“A letter has been written to the labour minister to put an end to such practises,” a department source said.

Activists said publicity mongering by some leaders only distracts the focus from the crises. “This is not the time for vote-bank politics. Lakhs are going hungry. Everyone needs to come together,” said Pratap Simha of CITU.