Bollywood actress Preity Zinta has denied allegations that a bank wrote off her ₹18-crore loan in exchange for political favors to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Dismissing these claims as “false news” and “malicious gossip” spread by Kerala Congress, she took to X (formerly Twitter) to set the record straight.
In a strongly worded statement, Zinta refuted accusations that she had handed over control of her social media accounts to the BJP in return for a loan waiver from New India Co-operative Bank. She clarified that the loan had been fully repaid over a decade ago.
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“I personally manage my social media accounts, and it is shameful that fake news is being spread! No loan was written off for me,” she wrote. “It is shocking that a political party or its representatives are engaging in clickbait and spreading baseless rumors using my name and pictures.”
The controversy arose after Kerala Congress alleged that Zinta’s ₹18-crore loan had been waived while depositors faced difficulties withdrawing funds due to restrictions imposed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on New India Co-operative Bank.
Earlier this month, the RBI placed a six-month moratorium on the bank, limiting withdrawals and suspending new loan approvals due to financial instability. However, the central bank later permitted depositors to withdraw up to ₹25,000 starting February 27.
Zinta, a prominent Bollywood actress and co-owner of the IPL team Punjab Kings, reiterated that she had settled all her financial dues long ago.
“For clarity, the loan was taken and completely repaid over 10 years ago. I hope this clears up any misunderstandings,” she added.
