Goa, Dec. 9 -- Tamil Nadu Municipal Administration and Water Supplies Minister K. N. Nehru on Monday issued a sharp rebuttal to the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) allegation of a Rs.1,020-crore bribery and tender-fixing racket within his department. Dismissing the claims as "politically driven lies," Nehru alleged that the charges were timed to benefit the AIADMK-BJP alliance ahead of upcoming elections.

Accusing the agency of acting on political instructions, the Minister said: "ED has become an extended wing of the BJP. Their fake allegations will be faced legally. My achievements give sleepless nights to the AIADMK-BJP alliance."

Nehru also pointed out that the ED's investigation stemmed from an earlier case involving his brother, wh...