Bollywood actor Preity Zinta has strongly refuted allegations made by the Kerala unit of the Congress, which claimed that she secured a โน18-crore loan waiver from the now crisis-hit New India Cooperative Bank in exchange for handing over her social media accounts to the BJP.ย
Dismissing the accusations as “vile gossip,” Zinta clarified that the loan in question was fully repaid over a decade ago.
The controversy erupted on Monday when the official X handle of the Kerala Congress shared a news report alleging the actorโs involvement in the bankโs financial troubles. The post read, “She gave her social media accounts to BJP and got โน18 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. Iโm shocked that a political party or their representative is promoting fake news & indulging in vile gossip & click baits using my name &โฆ https://t.co/cdnEvqnkYx
โ 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 โ 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 Zintaโs statement conf irming the same.
RBIโs 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 bankโs 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 โน25,000 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 โน25,000 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 โน25,000,” the RBI stated.
The withdrawal limit applies across all channels, including branch transactions and ATMs. However, the total amount withdrawn per depositor cannot exceed โน25,000 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.
ย
Also Read: Atishi, 11 AAP MLAs suspended over CAG report uproar