King Khan's Smoking Controversy

Denying reports that Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was found smoking on the campus of a Sikh institution in Amritsar, the Punjab government said it knew nothing about the matter and had not complained about it to the union Health Ministry.

"No report had been sent by the Punjab government to the union Health Ministry," said Punjab's Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla.

"I don't know where these reports are coming from. We have not filed any complaint (against Khan). I have again just checked with the health director. I cannot even say anything about whether he smoked there or not," Chawla said.

Reports in a section of the media said the union Health Ministry, following a Punjab government complaint against the actor's smoking in the Khalsa College, had issued notice to him.

College functionaries, who did not want to be identified, said they were shown a picture of the superstar smoking but were not sure if the campus in the background was of their college.

"We pointed out that the photograph did not look like that of the college. We have nothing more to say on this," a functionary said.

Despite the reports, no Sikh organisation in Amritsar or elsewhere in Punjab has protested against Khan's alleged act. Smoking is prohibited in Sikh religion and also in all Sikh institutions.

Khan has been shooting in the holy city of Amritsar for his next film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.