Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan on Wednesday said the #MeToo movement was started by “people with perverted minds”, reported PTI.

“This is the result of the activities of some people with perverted minds,” he said when asked about the movement. “This corrupts the purity of our land. This issue corrupts the honour of our women. This is not a good thing.”

“If someone makes an allegation that such a thing happened…..when the incident happened we were playing together while in class 5….Would it be fair?” Radhakrishnan asked.

Radhakrishnan also asked if it would be right for men to start “making similar accusations” against women. “If men start [something similar], how insulting will it be?” The Hindu quoted him as saying. “They can make such allegations against any woman. This cannot be accepted.”

Radhakrishnan’s remarks on the #MeToo movement came nearly a week after Bharatiya Janata Party’s state President Tamilisai Soundararajan voiced her support to those who have faced sexual harassment. “I strongly emphasise that whoever commits sexual harassment....as long as the affected party is a woman...whoever is accused of the crime....it does not matter who it is, women should get justice,” she had said.

Since October 5, dozens of women, including journalists, have taken to social media to give detailed accounts of the sexual harassment and misconduct they have faced. Journalist-turned-politician MJ Akbar, one of those accused of sexual harassment, on Wednesday resigned from his post as the minister of state for external affairs.

A number of women have accused prominent men in the Tamil film industry of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct. Filmmaker Leena Manimekalai recently levelled allegations against Tamil film director Susi Ganesan. Tamil poet and lyricist Vairamuthu and actors Radha Ravi, John Vijay and TM Karthik are among others who have been accused of harassment and misconduct.