Legislators under pressure, 80% above 60: Karnataka minister defends recliners in assembly

NEW DELHI: Amid controversy over recliners being installed in Karnataka assembly's lounge, minister Eshwara Khandre on Tuesday defended the state government's move emphasising that it will benefit the 80 per cent of legislators who are above age 60.
Reacting to BJP's criticism over installing recliners amid ongoing assembly session, Khandre said that legislators are "also normal human beings and have been working day and night under tremendous pressure."
"Legislators are also normal human beings and have been working day and night under tremendous pressure. 80% legislators have crossed the age of 60, they are senior citizens. I don't know why, opposition is trying to criticise every action of the government," he said to reporters.

A day before, Khandre criticised BJP for creating an issue out of it saying, "they should be ashamed."
"To improve the productivity, speaker proposed that and what is wrong in it? BJP is trying to politicise each and everything. They should be ashamed", he said while speaking to ANI.
Earlier on Monday, Karnataka minister Dinesh Gundu Rao also defended the state government's decision adding that unnecessary criticism should not happen. He asserted that the decision was taken with no bad intentions.
"Silly criticism should not be done. This has been done with no bad intentions. Some of the MLAs spend the whole day in the Assembly. Instead of going back to their homes, the MLAs can take a little rest here and attend work again. It is to help MLAs to be available in the Assembly", Dinesh Gundu Rao said to ANI on Monday.