IAS officer Lokesh Jangid, during the weekend, inadvertently found himself in the center of a controversy after asking a woman out on social media. While there did not appear to be anything creepy in his texts, a debate ensued on Twitter after the woman shared a screenshot of the messages on her profile.
Lokesh Jangid is the same IAS officer who fell victim to an alcohol related online fraud recently. He paid Rs. 17,000 for alcohol but the alcohol was not delivered to him. Consequently, a case was registered related to the matter in Madhya Pradesh.
Quite clearly, the IAS officer is not going through a very enjoyable period in his life. After the woman shared the private messages on her profile, it has sparked a serious debate regarding appropriate behaviour on the internet.
While some argued that Twitter is not Tinder, others were of the opinion that the IAS officer was only politely asking her out over tea and she could have just said no if she was not interested and moved on.
There is a flood of reactions by social media users on the matter.
This is why guys are afraid to express their feelings, he honestly asked you out if you are not interested just tell him and move on . https://t.co/WUu34FJ5e1
— Aditi. (@Sassy_Soul_) August 29, 2021
Okay wow. He just asked you really politely and what you're doing is embarrassing him just for internet clout? What a low life. https://t.co/ExVWAan2y3
— अ (@13_suroor) August 29, 2021
The world is so over dramatic! There is nothing cheap about these messages. If you’re not interested then ignore and move on. Is this the first time you’ve been asked out? Is this why you’re showing off to the world? this behaviour of yours surely points to that. @criticpedagogue https://t.co/qR4FJzPJKo
— liberal_destroyer (@liberalslayer5) August 29, 2021
Women appear to be particularly incensed over the matter.
Where's the problem? The guy has asked you out in a most civilized manner. If you don't want, say no. Why're you maligning his reputation?
— Fitoori (@UrbanFitoor) August 29, 2021
(I'm) Sick of women who play victim at a drop of the hat.
– Coming from a woman, in case you're wondering. https://t.co/d2Rjbxm6oh
What's the purpose behind sharing the SS.
— SK 🇮🇳 (@pahadanladki) August 29, 2021
He wasn't being indecent or rude at all.. if you didn't like..just turn his proposal down. Why make a hue and cry? https://t.co/Emqe4WWov1
Idk what’s wrong with this? If you want to go, Say yes. If no, Say no. What’s the big deal? Posting a screenshot doesn’t make you cool. Civil servants also have a life, stop being so judgmental people. Please ask someone out is not a crime. https://t.co/NZvbmjab6r
— Megha Sharma 🇮🇳 (@enclosedmegha) August 29, 2021
To be fair, there does not appear to be anything untoward in the texts from Lokesh Jangid. He was being extremely polite and a gentleman while asking her out for a cup of tea. One could even argue that it is was a model text of how to ask someone out.
Some people have pointed out that he mentioned that he is an IAS officer but there is nothing wrong with it. It is only natural for a man to attempt to establish his credibility before a woman he seeks to impress. Also, it could very well be that the invite was not motivated by any romantic interest at all.
We are assuming that the texts were motivated by a romantic interest, and perhaps the woman did as well, but on the face of it, it could very well be that it was platonic and the IAS officer just wanted to make new friends.
Furthermore, there are texts which ooze creepy vibes and there are those that not. Jangid’s texts clearly fall on the latter category. For instance, a creepy way of asking someone out would be, “Hey bby girl, wanna go over for some tea??” On the other hand, “Would like to see you over a cup of tea somewhere in case you’re free and willing! :)” does not seem creepy at all.
But then again, the entire episode reveals the dark side of the internet. There are just no rules anymore. We are walking through landmines all the time. For instance, a couple of years back, the video of a woman abusing girls using vile language had gone viral on the internet.
After that, the woman herself became a victim of the worst sort of abuse and people called for her to be raped. The current instance is obviously nor comparable to that but the online rage mobs that can be instigated at the drop of a hat is a cause for concern for all.
A lot of people appear ever willing to expose others to rage mobs for the sake of online clout. This online clout industry has become a cause for much strife and is a threat to mental health. We are not accusing the woman here for sharing screenshots of private texts for clout but it is a behaviour we are all familiar with.
The worst thing that Lokesh Jangid can be accused of being guilty of is sending cringeworthy texts but cringeworthy texts are surely not a crime serious enough to crucify someone online. However, it is a good idea perhaps to avoid asking random strangers out for tea over the internet.
Not because there’s something inherently wrong with it but because there is always the risk that some lunatic could use the texts to embarrass someone online.
