February 25, 2025: Bollywood actor Preity Zinta has hit back at allegations made by the Kerala Congress, which claimed that her Rs. 18 crore loan from the New India Co-operative Bank was waived off in return for political favours to the BJP. Dismissing the accusations as "vile gossip," Zinta clarified that the loan was fully repaid over a decade ago.

The controversy erupted after Kerala Congress, in a post on X, alleged that Zinta had handed over her social media accounts to the BJP in exchange for having her loan written off. "Depositors are on the streets for their money," the party stated, referencing the Reserve Bank of India’s recent restrictions on withdrawals from the crisis-hit New India Co-operative Bank.

Responding strongly, Preity Zinta denied the allegations and criticized the party for spreading misinformation. "No, I operate my social media accounts myself, and shame on you for promoting FAKE NEWS! No one wrote off anything or any loan for me. I’m shocked that a political party or their representative is indulging in vile gossip & clickbaits using my name & images. For the record, a loan was taken and FULLY PAID BACK—over 10 years ago," she wrote.

Following Zinta’s response, the Congress party acknowledged her statement and said it was willing to accept any mistake in its claims. However, the party also cited a report that originally made the allegations and reiterated its concern over the financial crisis affecting depositors of the bank.

The New India Co-operative Bank has been under scrutiny after the RBI imposed withdrawal restrictions earlier this month due to its weak financial position. On February 27, the RBI is set to allow limited withdrawals of up to Rs. 25,000 for affected depositors.