LOVELY LADIES: Sadhana Walsh, Latisha Patel and Jacinta Lal who competed in the Miss Indian New Zealand competition.

A blonde haired blue-eyed Wellingtonian Indian has caused turmoil in the beauty contest world by winning Miss IndiaNZ - and being accused of not being Indian enough.

The New Zealand Herald said Jacinta Lal, 21, was booed and has been the subject of complaints to organisers from Indian spectators who, she says, are no better than TV presenter Paul Henry.

Ms Lal, the daughter of an Indo Fijian and a New Zealander, won the central district Miss IndiaNZ contest in Wellington in April.

Complaints questioning Jacinta Lal's eligibility to be in the pageant had been received, Festival organiser Dharmesh Parikh said.

Ms Lal's supporters say they are unhappy at the response of the crowd.

"It was just appalling," said her boyfriend's mother, Serena Fiso.

"It was so disgraceful. We were just dumbfounded."

Ms Lal said she had heard people saying that "I wasn't Indian-looking enough to win the pageant".

"But despite those small-minded people that made those comments, there were many Indians who encouraged me to enter the pageant.

"So just because some narrow-minded people make a comment like that we can't assume that all Indians think the same way.

"There is no difference between what Paul Henry is saying and what those select few Indians were saying.

"They are all wrong and should not say things like that ..."

Auckland Indian Association present Harshad Patel said that after the Paul Henry controversy, it was disappointing to hear people had booed Ms Lal.

"They shouldn't be doing that by looking at her hair or whatever - she's Indian. She's got Indian blood, so she should qualify. They should find out the facts. They should be more open-minded."