Why Preity Zinta is Upset with Kerala Congress: Actress Rebukes False Claims About Her Finances

New Delhi- Bollywood actress Preity Zinta has strongly criticized the Kerala unit of the Indian National Congress for spreading what she calls "fake news" about her financial dealings. The controversy erupted after the political party made allegations on social media regarding her banking transactions.

The Kerala Congress posted on X (formerly Twitter) claiming, "She gave her social media accounts to BJP and got 18 Cr written off and the bank collapsed last week. Depositors are on the streets for their money."

Zinta, known for her roles in films like "Dil Chahta Hai," "Koi... Mil Gaya," and "Veer-Zaara," responded firmly to these allegations. "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," she wrote, expressing shock that a political organization would spread "vile gossip and click baits" using her name and image.

The actress clarified the situation, stating, "For the record a loan was taken and FULLY PAID BACK - over 10 years ago." She added that she hoped this explanation would prevent future misunderstandings.

This incident follows Zinta's recent social media activity where she endorsed stricter punishments for sexual crimes. Sharing a post about Italy potentially legalizing chemical castration for certain offenders, she expressed support for similar measures in India, calling for "zero tolerance for such crimes."

Prior to this controversy, the actress had also posted a statement reading, "Support the country you live in or live in the country you support," which sparked online speculation about whether she was referring to Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh or politician Priyanka Gandhi, though she didn't mention any names.

The Kerala Congress unit has posted a response to Preity Zinta's criticism, acknowledging her clarification about managing her own social media accounts. They stated they're willing to accept mistakes if made and explained they shared information based on media reports.

Their post references allegations from a January 2020 letter that former employees of New India Cooperative Bank sent to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). According to the Kerala Congress, this letter warned about alleged corrupt practices at the bank under chairman Hiren Bhanu's leadership.

The post claims media reports mentioned Zinta's name among others, specifically alleging that an Rs18 crore loan to her was written off without proper recovery procedures. It also mentions other alleged irregularities involving large loans to various entities and suspicious transactions with an asset reconstruction company.

Kerala Congress concluded by stating they stand with depositors who lost savings and invited Zinta to provide proof clearing her name while also asking her to support the affected depositors.