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After his "Internet in the Mahabharata era" remark, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb claimed on Thursday, 26 April, that the international beauty pageants were a farce and questioned the rationale behind crowning Diana Hayden "Miss World" 21 years ago.
The BJP leader, however, was all praise for Aishwarya Rai, who won the Miss World crown in 1994, saying she "represents the Indian women" in the true sense.
Deb's comments came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned the BJP leaders to steer clear of controversies and not offer "masala" to the media by making irresponsible statements.
The Tripura Chief Minister also claimed that the international beauty contests were a farce as the results were all predetermined.
Addressing a day-long design workshop on handlooms and handicrafts at the Prajna Bhavan in Agartala, Deb spoke in a mixture of Bengali and Hindi: "Bitorko ho jayega...Aap kya bolte ho Biplab Deb?" (There will be a controversy. What are you saying Biplab Deb?)
"They make the girls walk with fabric on the ramps. Those who give the certificates are all international textile market mafia. They plan beforehand who will get the award and this is 100 percent true," the BJP leader said.
He said he failed to understand the "process of judgement" of the crowning of the Miss World contest in 1997, in which Diana Hayden had got the award.
Earlier this month, Deb had claimed that Internet and satellite communication existed in the days of Mahabharata.
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