Cash-for-jobs allegation: Will face the case legally, says K.N. Nehru

Hours after the Madras High Court directed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to register a case forthwith based on materials shared by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), levelling a cash-for-jobs allegation in his Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) department, Minister K.N. Nehru on Friday (February 20, 2026) said he would face the case legally.

Addressing a press conference at the DMK headquarters ‘Anna Arivalayam’, Mr. Nehru, the principal secretary of the party, along with DMK spokesperson R.S. Bharathi, said he would face the case legally through the appropriate court. Mr. Bharathi maintained that Mr. Nehru would not be intimidated by the case. “The more he is harassed, the more he will work for the party,” Mr. Bharathi said.

“As far as Mr. Nehru is concerned, he has faced several cases and has overcome them. This is, after all, only an FIR,” Mr. Bharathi said. On the “instigation” of the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, the BJP-led Union government was “jealous” of Mr. Nehru’s political acumen and was resorting to actions to intimidate him. Mr. Bharathi said Mr. Nehru had worked hard to ensure the party’s victory in as many as 41 Assembly constituencies and therefore, he was being “targeted.”

Replying to a query, Mr. Bharathi recalled an inquiry against former Union Minister P. Chidarambaram by the ED and asked if there was any development in the case since. “It was to harass and malign his reputation among the general public. This is election time. Our leader M.K. Stalin’s [Chief Minister] reputation has been growing – and that of the DMK.”

The DMK spokesperson also recalled another incident over the seizure of ₹570 crore from a container [during the erstwhile AIADMK regime], which was probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) about 10 years ago, and said there was no FIR in that case. “They are only trying to malign our image, especially during election time. The DMK has faced several cases and has overcome them in the past,” he reiterated.