Mr Pugh wants the language to grow though persuasion

Alun Pugh told BBC Wales that it would result in "impractical legislation".

Mr Pugh said applying such rights differently in different parts of Wales would be "a legal nonsense".

He was responding to a call by Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones for specific rights in both public and certain parts of the private sector.

Speaking on BBC Wales' Politics Show, Mr Pugh also rejected a call by Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Language Society - at a rally in Aberystwyth over the weekend - for the language to have official status.

The AM told the programme Welsh already had official status.

Either you have rights of you don't have rights Alun Pugh

"You have the right to a trial in Welsh, we certainly support Welsh medium education, the Welsh language will of course appear in new passports in a few months time."

The minister said the way forward was providing investment in the Welsh language and persuading private companies to improve current provision to "grow" the number of Welsh speakers from the current 20% of the population.

"That means investing in organisations such as the Urdd and the National Eisteddfod, providing more opportunities for people in Wales to use both their national languages rather than imposing a major new burden of unworkable new legislation."

Mr Jones made the call for a new Welsh Language Act at a rally attended by about 300 people.

He told BBC Wales that as part of new language act, Plaid was calling for a language commissioner to enforce the legislation "absolutely sensitively".

Ieuan Wyn Jones called for a new Welsh Language Act

"It would be the job of a language commissioner to consult with bodies like the public sector and the volunteer sector to see how it [legislation] can be introduced."

The Plaid Cymru leader said he "fully acknowledged" that it would have to be done "differently in different parts of Wales and with different-sized organisations".

But Mr Pugh insisted variable rights were "a legal nonsense".

"Either you have rights of you don't have rights...you cannot have rights based legislation that applies in different parts of Wales."