Kerala Congress reacts after Preity Zinta slams party over ₹18 crore loan claim
Kerala Congress asked Preity Zinta to provide proof of her claims and cited a report of corruption related to the New India Cooperative Bank.
Bollywood actress Preity Zinta and the Kerala Congress engaged in a war of words on Tuesday, after the party unit alleged that she had an ₹18 crore loan written off and had handed over her social media accounts to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Preity Zinta strongly refuted the claims, calling them “fake news” and slamming both the political party and media outlets for spreading misinformation.
The Kerala Congress responded, asking Preity Zinta to show “proof” to back her claims and “to clear the air”.
Preity Zinta slams Kerala Congress for ‘promoting fake news’
Preity Zinta, expressing "shock" over a political party “promoting fake news” said the loan was “fully paid back” over a decade ago.
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The Kerala Congress had earlier claimed in a post that the 'Veer Zaara' actor “gave her social media accounts to BJP and got 18 Cr written off”.
"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 & images," Preity Zinta stated in a post on X.
"For the record a loan was taken and FULLY PAID BACK - over 10 years ago. Hope this clarifies and helps so there are no misunderstandings in the future," she added.
In a subsequent post, the actor expressed her disappointment with media outlets for failing to verify the information before publishing it.
"So much misinformation going around, but thank god for social media and thank god for X!" she added.
Preity Zinta also slammed several media houses for misreporting stories and not taking accountability for their mistakes.
"I think it's time we start holding them responsible right here so there is some accountability in the future," the actor wrote.
She added, “Next time please call me and find out if the story is true or not before mentioning my name.”
Kerala Congress responds
In response to the actor's post, the Kerala Congress posted on X 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.”
The party unit cited a report claiming that ex-employees of New India Cooperative Bank had written to the RBI in 2020, warning about alleged corruption in the bank under chairman Hiren Bhanu.
"In that report, your name along with many others were mentioned. The excerpts from the story is below: As early as in January 2020, ex-employees of New India Cooperative Bank Ltd had warned the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) about malfunctioning operations and alleged corrupt practices in the Bank. However, RBI failed to take concrete action against the Bank in a timely manner, says a report from http://IndianCooperative.com.
“According to the report, on 29 January 2020, former employees of New India Cooperative Bank sent a letter to the executive director (ED) of RBI's department of regulations. The letter highlighted severe irregularities, financial mismanagement, corruption and unethical practices within the Bank, under the leadership of chairman Hiren Bhanu,” the party posted.
Further citing the report, it wrote, “Before 2010, the Bank focused on small-ticket loans for priority sectors. After Mr Bhanu's entry, corporate loans of up to Rs25 crore were sanctioned without branch managers' knowledge. Major loans turned into non-performing assets (NPAs) within a year, with funds diverted through other banks.”
“Further, it says, 'Bollywood actress Preity Zinta's Rs18 crore loan was written off without due recovery procedures. Rajhans group received Rs95 crore in loans, while another Rs210 crore in NPAs was regularly sold to Omkara Assets Reconstruction Pvt Ltd (ARC), raising suspicions of fraudulent loan write-offs. A Rs7 crore loan was granted to ACAIPL, a sister concern of Omkara ARC, allegedly without proper due diligence. Loans were approved for Mr Bhanu's associates using inflated valuation reports. Commission agent Manish Simaria facilitated corporate loans and earned huge commissions despite defaulting on an Rs8 crore loan himself',” the Kerala Congress added.
Preity Zinta’s views on social media criticism
Earlier, Preity Zinta had commented on the rising cynicism on social media, particularly towards public figures.
"If you appreciate your PM, you are a bhakt… if you are a proud Hindu or Indian, then you're an 'Andh Bhakt'! Let's keep it real, folks, and take people for who they are and not who we think they should be!" she posted.
