Senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan on Wednesday struck a measured note on actor-turned-politician Vijay’s recent political remarks, saying that while some of his questions to the ruling M. K. Stalin-led government were “fair”, his lighter political jibes should not be overstretched.

Addressing reporters, Tamilisai said Vijay had raised “legitimate questions” before the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), particularly on poll promises and policy commitments.

“Vijay has asked certain questions that are justified. Despite knowing that the state government cannot abolish NEET on its own, the DMK promised a NEET exemption. They also said they would provide Rs 100 subsidy on LPG cylinders and offer an additional price of over Rs 4,000 per tonne for sugarcane. These are fair questions posed to the DMK,” she said.

Tamilisai added that the people of Tamil Nadu should focus only on these substantive issues. “His references to a ‘Delhi team’ and a ‘Chennai team’ were made in a lighter vein. Those comments should be treated as such,” she said, suggesting that political discourse should not be derailed by rhetorical flourishes.

Stepping up her attack on the ruling party, Tamilisai said the DMK was a party that “needs to be defeated”. In a sharp aside, she remarked that the party was in such a state that it was willing to embrace anyone who even “seeks shade near Arivalayam”, a reference to the DMK headquarters in Chennai.

“They are clearly under pressure,” she said.

Responding to Chief Minister Stalin’s recent comment that she was “working hard”, Tamilisai said the hard work was aimed at dislodging the DMK from power. “You are working hard to hand over power to your son. That is what you are striving for. We are stating clearly that this will not happen,” she said, in an apparent reference to minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.

Projecting confidence ahead of the electoral battle, Tamilisai said the National Democratic Alliance would form a “people-centric government” in the state. She expressed confidence that a government led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami would emerge victorious.

Her remarks come amid sharpening political exchanges in Tamil Nadu, with parties recalibrating their strategies and narratives ahead of the next round of electoral contests.