Insensitive statements of political leaders
Some of the recent incidents in Karnataka are the best examples of what transpires when political leaders lose sensitivity. Two cases of audio clippings have not only created political turmoil, but have also exposed the calloused attitude of political leaders.
Speaker Ramesh Kumar set of a stream of tears since his name was mentioned in the audio tape expose case by the state government. He spoke rather emotionally and sent the whole audio issue off track the assembly.
Since issues such as audio recording have challenged the democracy, they have to be discussed rather pragmatically than emotionally. Ramesh Kumar may not have received money from the BJP.
But why should that stop the whole issue from being investigated? Then what would the difference be, between Ramesh Kumar and Narendra Modi?
The metaphor he gave to convince that any further investigation will cause him more humiliation was highly deplorable. Those are not the words that a statesman like him can throw around freely. A rape survivor apparently lodged a complaint and the matter went to the court. In the court, she was questioned many more times about the same incident that she felt even more humiliated though the rape happened only once. Someone asked her if she got justice, she apparently said the rape happened only once but the court hearing forced her to relive that incident multiple times in the court.
This story is what Ramesh Kumar said as a response to the allegations made about him in the audio tape. This example is not too far from the truth. Humiliating the survivor and making her deeply regret the fact that she even made an attempt to complain against the ghastly crime that happened her well within a judiciary system is a fact enough.
The courts are now insisting that the rape survivors be treated with more respect and dignity than what has been the norm so far. Ramesh Kumar says he has been treated like a rape survivor. He has taken the plight of a rape survivor rather so lightly, almost sounding like a joke.
So does that mean the survivor shouldn’t have lodged a complaint at all if she is going to be humiliated in the court time and again? Isn’t it the responsibility of the judicial system that pushed her into this plight?
Ramesh Kumar’s analogy is somewhat smart as well. He is insisting that the audio should not be investigated by Special Investigation Team. If that happens, the speaker feels the officers may question him in various ways that may cause him further agony.
This is an illogical argument that does not weigh well on the case. His image is not any bigger than the constitution. So to save his image, one cannot overthrow the constitutional requirements and protect his image over a sovereign government. He should have been more matured about this and in fact he should have sought a thorough enquiry and through that protected his clean image.
If this matter is not investigated, the dark side of this issue will haunt him forever. If the issue is investigated, and he is proved innocent, it may even get him a cleaner image. His dramatic behavior regarding this has led to serious doubts about the issue.
At the same time, an elected representative from Hassan is facing people’s ire for having spoken rather insensitively about former PM Deve Gowda and CM Kumaraswamy. People may nurse some dissent towards a political party. That’s natural. And they may even create strategies to defeat the competition through various means.
But how does one hope for the death of a senior politician? “Deve Gowda is old and will die soon. Kumaraswamy may also not last longer because he isn’t in great health,” the MLA has reportedly said.
This person must remember sometimes people who wait to see someone’s death die before the person himself! One cannot even get the context of state politics by keeping aside the JD(S) and former PM Deve Gowda.
His contribution to state and central politics is huge. BJP has taken to streets supporting their MLA who has wished death to Deve Gowda. JD(S) activists too have attacked him for having spoken this way. This is not right either.
Both have to be brought to book. At the same time, BJP should have apologized that their MLA spoke in this disrespecting manner to one of the towering figures of Indian politics. This was the least they could do. They should have condemned the words of their MLA before condemning the assault on their activists and workers. It is shameful; that instead of being a sensible party, BJP went to support their MLA and are encouraging them to indulge in violence.
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Iran Shocks World, Hits F-35
America's most advanced fighter jet, the F-35, was never hit in combat — not once, in its entire history. Countries spend over ₹900 crore to buy just one of these aircraft. The whole world believed this plane was untouchable. Then, on March 19, something happened over Iranian skies that shocked military experts across the globe.
Iran hit it. And nobody saw it coming.
America Was Too Confident — That Was the Problem
Before understanding how this happened, you need to understand what America believed going into this. The US had been bombing Iran since February 28. After roughly 20 days of heavy strikes, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Iran's air defences were completely destroyed — finished, flattened, gone.
US President Donald Trump even said proudly, "We can fly wherever we want, and no one is even firing at us."
Based on this confidence, America flew its prized F-35 deep into the heart of central Iran. That alone tells you how sure they were. You don't send your most expensive jet into enemy territory unless you believe there is zero danger.
But Iran, a country under heavy international sanctions, still had something left. And it used that something extremely well.
So How Did Iran Actually Hit a Stealth Jet?
Here is where it gets interesting for regular people to understand.
We have all heard the word "stealth" — it sounds like the plane is completely invisible. But India Today explained that stealth only means it is hard to detect by radar. Hard — not impossible. It does not mean the aircraft is totally invisible.
Think of it this way. Even if you cannot see someone in a dark room, you can still feel their body heat if they stand close enough. That is almost exactly what happened here.
The F-35's engines produce enormous heat. Iran's weapon likely used an infrared sensor — basically a heat-seeking system — to detect that heat, lock onto it, and follow the jet. No radar needed. The F-35's biggest advantage, its radar-invisibility, simply did not matter.
The weapon Iran likely used was the 358 missile — also called SA-67 — which is a loitering munition. Think of it as a slow, intelligent drone that flies around patiently waiting, scanning the sky for heat signals from aircraft engines. Once it finds one, it chases it down. Iran has used this exact weapon before against American MQ-9 Reaper drones — and since this war started, America has already lost more than 12 of those drones.
This Has Happened Before — In 1999
This is not the first time America's "invisible" aircraft was brought down by a smarter enemy.
In 1999, during NATO's bombing campaign over Serbia, the US flew its F-117 Nighthawk — which was then considered the world's most advanced stealth aircraft. Serbian forces shot it down using an old Soviet missile system from the 1960s. Not with new technology — with clever thinking. They briefly switched on their radar, caught the jet at the right moment when its stealth was less effective, and fired.
The lesson both then and now is the same — no aircraft is completely invincible. Smart tactics can beat expensive technology.
Why This Changes Everything in the Iran War
Here is the bigger picture that really matters.
America and Israel had told the world that Iran's air defences were basically dead. Based on that, they sent massive B-1 and B-2 bombers — aircraft that are normally used only when a country is 100% sure it controls the enemy's sky. That is a huge military risk to take.
But if an F-35 — the most advanced aircraft in the sky — can still be hit, then Iran's defences are clearly not dead. Some pieces are still very much alive and working.
This means the US and Israel may now be forced to completely rethink their war plan. Their jets may need to fly higher, use longer-range weapons, and spend far more time and money finding where Iran's remaining defence systems are hiding underground.
Around 15 countries use the F-35 today. Even India was offered this jet by Trump during PM Modi's White House visit — though India has not shown interest so far.
Geopolitical expert Adam summed it up simply — a heavily sanctioned country just tracked, chased, and hit the world's most expensive stealth jet. That is not a small thing.
Sometimes, one moment changes everything.
(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or position of the publication, its editors, or its management. The publication is not responsible for the accuracy of any information, statements, or opinions presented in this piece.
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