Union Minister Jairam Ramesh offered to resign following his controversial remarks against Home Ministry for allegedly stalling some Chinese imports but Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has turned it down, PMO sources said. Environment Minister Ramesh had offered his resignation on Monday night after he had reportedly said in Beijing that the Home Ministry and the security establishment were being "alarmist and paranoid" when it came to Chinese companies wanting to do business in India, raising a storm.

PMO sources said Ramesh's offer to put in his papers has been turned down by the Prime Minister. Strongly disapproving of his remarks, the Prime Minister and the Congress had reprimanded him even as the Opposition BJP had demanded action against him for the "highly objectionable" comments.