Thiruvananthapuram: In a bid to put an end to the controversy after his driver was seen helping him wear sandals, Kerala Assembly Speaker N Sakthan on Thursday clarified it was not a deliberate act but his health condition warranted the help of another person to wear footwear with straps.

"Is it such a grave mistake to seek help of a person to wear sandals if one is suffering from a disease that does not permit him to bend too much," Sakthan asked at a press conference convened at the assembly complex here to explain his position on the incident.