BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan on Wednesday said that the ‘#MeToo’ movement was started by individuals with perverted minds.
“This is the result of the activities of some people with perverted minds. This corrupts the purity of our land. This issue corrupts the honour of our women. This is not a good thing,” he said.
Mr. Radhakrishnan was interacting with reporters at Kurumbapatti village in Karur district after inaugurating a health and wellness centre under the National Health Protection Scheme.
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Mr. Radhakrishnan, who said that he was not aware of M.J. Akbar’s resignation from the Union Council of Ministers earlier in the day, was asked by a reporter. “What do you think of the #MeToo movement? Do you think it is right?”
In response, Mr. Radhakrishnan retorted: “You and I work with women. What if someone makes an accusation against you, alleging that something happened when you were playing together while in the fifth standard? Will you accept it? How is it justice?”
“If men start [something similar], how insulting will it be? They can make such allegations against any woman. This cannot be accepted,” Mr. Radhakrishnan added.
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Mr. Radhakrishnan’s reaction to the #MeToo movement comes almost a week after the BJP State president’s unequivocal support to the victims of sexual harassment.
Last Thursday, Tamilisai Soundararajan had said: “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.”