Top Tory Ben Goldsmith has faced calls to quit his role at the Department of the Environment after he supported Extinction Rebellion protestors blockading fuel depots.
Conservative MPs were furious that the Defra board member, the brother of government minister Zac Goldsmith, said the activists were right to do "whatever it takes".
Hundreds of anti-fossil fuel protestors have been arrested in recent days with police criticising their "exceptionally dangerous" road-blocking tactics.
The millionaire financier criticised Labour's call for nationwide injunctions against 'Just Stop Oil' protests which have caused chaos at petrol stations.
Mr Goldsmith tweeted: "Not a good look from Labour. The protestors are right to be doing whatever it takes to wake people up.
"The fossil fuel industry is grubby and dangerous. We need to unhook ourselves from our dependence asap".
But West Dorset Tory MP Chris Loder accused Mr Goldsmith of "inappropriately interfering" in political matters and claimed he was "hanging on to his brother’s coat-tails" at Defra.
He tweeted: "He should either resign and stand for election or be sacked by [Environment Secretary] George Eustice.
"Another example below of his misuse of power in campaigns".
Fay Jones, Tory MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, described his words as "unbelievable" in a backbenchers W hatsapp group, while former cabinet minister Damian Green said "surely he can't stay on after that".
Mr Goldsmith later deleted his remarks, telling furious Tory MPs on whatsapp that he was “sorry for my clumsy tweets" about Extinction Rebellion.
He then tweeted: "I recognise the disruption these protests are causing to people's lives and livelihoods.
"I've always previously stood publicly opposed to the controversial and often bonkers methods employed by ER."
But he added: "That being said, I know I'm not alone in feeling a rising sense of panic as the reported science grows ever grimmer.
"Awareness and action are not commensurate with the scale of the issue, even if we in the UK are now leading the way globally."
A government source said: “Ben expressed a personal view - not that of the Government.
"People have the right to protest, and the issue of climate change is very important - that’s why we’re taking such ambitious action to tackle it.
"But, these XR protests are not peaceful protest - they are disrupting people’s lives and it is wholly unacceptable.
"That’s why the Government is taking robust action to stop them.”
Extinction Rebellion blocked all entrances to the Lloyds of London on Tuesday in an attempt to stop them insuring fossil fuels projects.
At the weekend, the activists blocked cars and buses from passing across two central London bridges, although ambulances were allowed to pass.
