Is Yeddyurappa alone responsible for the mess?
Looks like the attempts to keep Operation Kamala alive in Karnataka has boomeranged on BJP. An audio recording of Yeddyurappa trying to negotiate with an MLA’s son has exposed the ‘undercover’ dealings of Yeddyurappa.
Initially Yeddyurappa had denied that this was his voice and he was even supported by his partymen who had reiterated his claims. But now Yeddyurappa himself has admitted to the fact that the voice in the tape is his. So, with that, one thing has become clear. That the government isn’t unstable because of internal factors, but because some external factors like the BJP are trying hard to make it thus.
To attempt to buy over MLAs elected through a democratic process by offering them money is equivalent to hacking the EVMs. This is like compromising on democratic institutions. BJP has admitted to have committed this offence. Who should pay for this? BJP has to make that decision within their own party.
Jibes have already started on Yeddyurappa even within the party soon after he admitted to the voice in the audio tape being his. But we need to understand one aspect. We should not be weighing Yeddyurappa who led the Operation Kamala and the Yeddyurappa who admitted to his voice.
In the recent days, people are blatantly refusing their role in anything despite the allegations being genuine. Yeddyurappa could have done the same thing too. He has opened a chain of stores of various allegations. This additional allegation couldn’t have been so heavy. He could have shifted the blame to his opponents and led a peaceful life as a leader. He has to be appreciated for his admission. He should not be unduly critiqued for having admitted to Operation Kamala.
Now coming to the larger issue, this is not his fault alone. There are bigger names behind Operation Kamala and targeting Yeddyurappa would mean they go scot free.
“Success has many fathers, failure is an orphan” is a popular English adage.
If the BJP had been successful in operation Kamala and formed the government, the credit of this would be usurped by Modi and Shah.
Media had often projected Operation Kamala as some sort of an accomplishment. Anchors would cry hoarse over what time the new government would be formed and the new CM would take oath. They were equally excited about Operation Kamala for their part.
Now with Yeddyurappa’s admission, everyone has gone into a tizzy. Hence he is being projected as a criminal. They are not sad that Operation Kamala failed, but they are angry that BSY admitted to his role.
BJP wants all the possible seats in Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka and other states too. The Modi-Shah duo are strategizing each and every move to ensure maximum seats are clinched for the party.
Hence Shah has closely directed this Operation Kamala. Their whole agenda is to at least try and create some sort of mistrust among people about the current coalition government, even if they cannot form a government.
Yeddyurappa can never enter into this business without the instruction of the higher authorities in the party. Because the funds to support these claims have to come from higher levels. Hence BJP has used Yeddyurappa in some sense. The leaders have made him a prey.
Now he has turned into a challenge to them. There have been attempts to unseat him from the leadership position of BJP in Karnataka. But since Lingayats have been supporting the BJP, Yeddyurappa has been retained inevitably.
If BJP throws him out, the Lingayat support base may be lost. RSS is in a fix over Lingayats demanding separate religion tag because Yeddyurappa is a mass leader of Lingayats.
Destabilising him would mean Lingayats would move away from the party. Hence some of the BJP leaders are pushing him to do things that blacken his image.
Now with his admission, he has become even a weaker leader. That this admission came on the day when Modi was in the state, has caused even more problems to BJP because it has harmed even their poll preparation.
Did he foresee the conspiracies that he admitted to his mistake? Or is his admission a preface to new politics? Only time hold the answer.
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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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