Agartala: Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Thursday said Diana Hayden was not worthy of being crowned Miss World in 1997. He also termed international fashion design contest organisers in Paris "marketing mafia gangs" and alleged that the contest results were fixed.

"They make girls walk on ramps. Those who give certificates are all international textile market mafia. They plan beforehand which one will be awarded and this is cent per cent true," Deb said while addressing the inaugural event of a one-day design workshop for handloom artisans at Prajna Bhavan here.

He claimed that Miss World and Miss Universe crowns were awarded to Indian women five times to grab the Indian cosmetic market and that there were no more beauty queens from India because the domestic market was already captured by cosmetic giants.

"Indian women did not use cosmetics in olden times. Indians didn't use shampoo. They washed hair with methi water and bathed with mud. These beauty pageant contest organisers are international marketing mafia, who spotted a huge market in the country. Today, there is a beauty parlour in every corner of the country," Deb said.

"Have all potential Miss World, Miss Universe gone away from India now? Why are there no more beauty queens from India? They have captured the market and have gone elsewhere to capture the same," Deb alleged. On Diana's Miss World crowning, Deb said he "did not understand the process of judgment" but lauded Aishwarya Rai, who won Miss World crown in 1994, saying she represents the quintessential Indian woman.

"We see women as Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswati. Aishwarya Rai represents the Indian woman. She became Miss World and that's alright. But I do not understand the beauty of Diana Hayden," the new chief minister said.

Deb said Tripura's handloom products could attract international buyers with proper marketing strategies. "Handloom has to compete with mechanised industrial revolution or it will not be able to survive in the market. You have to create according to the market demands," he added.

Deb's comments on Diana have sparked an uproar.

Femina Miss India contestant from Tripura, Mamita Debbarma, said, "It is a shame that our chief minister is making such comments. Governments in other states felicitate and promote people who win these accolades. Beauty pageant contestants have to work very hard to win. This comment is very unfortunate."

PCC vice-president Tapas Dey said Deb's comments reflected the BJP's "unfathomable disrespect" for women. "I feel ashamed to comment on the chief minister's statements. His comments show that that BJP does not know how to respect women. They disregard women. I feel ashamed that he is our chief minister," he said.