India News: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today put up a strong defence of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and rejected the demand for his resignation over the alleged interference in the preparation of the CBI status report in the coal scam.

He also brushed aside demands for his own resignation and declined to respond to allegations that he used Kumar as a shied to "safeguard" himself."There is no question of the Law Minister resigning. The matter is now in the court and it is sub-judice. It is not proper for me to do anything. But there is no question of the Law Minister resigning," he told reporters in Rashtrapati Bhawan when asked whether he would seek Kumar's resignation.