An Indian minister's comment that life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer, are "divine justice" has prompted backlash in the country, Times of India reported on Thursday.

According to the daily, Assam health minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, said at a function on Tuesday that certain people suffer from illnesses such as cancer due to past sins, attributing such illnesses to "divine justice".

"God makes us suffer when we sin. Sometimes we come across young men getting inflicted with cancer or young men meeting with accidents. If you observe the background, you will come to know that it's divine justice. Nothing else. We have to suffer that divine justice," Times of India quoted the minister as saying.

The minister said that Hindu scriptures and the Bible talk about consequences of one's actions.

"[There is] no point in being sad [...] all will get the outcome of this life's actions in this life only. That divine justice always will be there," Sarma was quoted as saying.

According to the daily, the minister's comments received strong reactions from politicians and individuals battling cancer.

"It is unfortunate that the health minister has made such a remark on cancer patients, hurting their feelings," Debabratta Saikia, a Congress leader said, calling on the minister to make a public apology for his remarks.

According to the daily, a leader of the All India United Democratic Front said that the minister's comments were an attempt to cover up his failure to control the spread of cancer in his state.

Those battling the illness were saddened by the minister's remarks, which they said came even though it is an "established medical fact that there are scientific reasons and various other parameters responsible for the disease," Times of India reported.