preity-zinta-slams-kerala-congress-over-false-loan-claim

Bollywood actor Preity Zinta has strongly refuted allegations made by the Kerala unit of the Congress, which claimed that she secured a ₹18-crore loan waiver from the now crisis-hit New India Cooperative Bank in exchange for handing over her social media accounts to the BJP. 

 

Dismissing the accusations as "vile gossip," Zinta clarified that the loan in question was fully repaid over a decade ago.

 

Congress' Kerala unit urged actor Preity Zinta to present proof to refute reports that she "gave her social media accounts to the BJP" to get a Rs 18 crore loan written of, while also asking her to raise her voice for depositors who lost money.

 

On platform X, Congress said: "Good to know you're managing your own account, unlike other celebs who have handed theirs over to the notorious IT cell.

 

Thanks for the clarification, @realpreityzinta regarding your loan position. We are glad to accept mistakes if we have made any.

 

We shared the news as reported by media outlets. According to media outlets which reported this story, ex-employees of New India Cooperative Bank had warned the RBI in a letter they wrote in January 2020 about the corrupt practices that was going on in the bank. In that report, your name along with many others were mentioned. The excerpts from the story is below..."

 

The controversy erupted on Monday when the official X handle of the Kerala Congress shared a news report alleging the actor’s involvement in the bank’s financial troubles.

 

The post read, "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."

No I operate my social media accounts my self 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 promoting fake news & indulging in vile gossip & click baits using my name &… https://t.co/cdnEvqnkYx

— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) February 25, 2025

Preity Zinta's strong rebuttal

Responding sharply on Tuesday, Zinta categorically denied the claims, stating that she personally manages her social media accounts and accused the Congress of spreading false information.

"No, I operate my social media accounts myself, and shame on you for promoting FAKE NEWS! No one wrote off any loan for me. I'm shocked that a political party or its representative is indulging in vile gossip, using my name and images for clickbait," she wrote on X.

She further clarified that while a loan had been taken, it was completely repaid more than ten years ago.

"For the record, a loan was taken and FULLY PAID BACK – over 10 years ago. Hope this clarifies and prevents any misunderstandings in the future," Zinta added.

The Kerala Congress' post has since been flagged with a community note on X, stating that the allegations were false and linking to Zinta’s statement conf irming the same.

RBI’s Action Against New India Cooperative Bank

The controversy comes in the wake of strict regulatory action by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) against New India Cooperative Bank. On February 13, citing serious financial irregularities, the RBI imposed severe restrictions on the bank, barring it from issuing fresh loans, renewing existing ones, accepting new deposits, or selling its assets.

Additionally, the RBI dismissed the bank’s Board of Directors for a period of 12 months and appointed a former Chief General Manager of the State Bank of India (SBI) as its administrator.

In a relief to depositors, the RBI announced on Monday that customers would be allowed to withdraw up to ₹25,000 from their accounts starting February 27.

"After reviewing the bank's liquidity position in consultation with the administrator, the Reserve Bank has decided to allow a deposit withdrawal of up to ₹25,000 per depositor, effective February 27, 2025. This relaxation will enable more than 50% of total depositors to withdraw their entire balances, while others will be able to withdraw up to ₹25,000," the RBI stated.

The withdrawal limit applies across all channels, including branch transactions and ATMs. However, the total amount withdrawn per depositor cannot exceed ₹25,000 or their account balance, whichever is lower.

New India Cooperative Bank operates 28 branches, with most located in the Mumbai metropolitan region.

The allegations against Zinta, now debunked, were seemingly linked to the bank's ongoing financial crisis. However, the actor's strong rebuttal and official clarifications have put an end to the speculation.

 

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