New Delhi, Sept. 25 -- Former Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Raj Purohit has sparked a controversy by saying that previous Congress governments had not given any awards to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, and that his party judged the actor purely on merit.

The BJP has never judged the actor on the basis of his religion, instead recognising his talent and performances, Purohit told PTI Videos.

The saffron party believes in unity, meritocracy and capability, he said.

The comments came after Shah Rukh Khan was awarded the National Award for best actor for his role in 'Jawan', an honour he shared with '12th Fail' star Vikrant Massey.

In turn, the Opposition claimed the government only thought of honouring the actor with a national award f...