TMC's Dola Sen didn't cooperate with Air India staff, say co-passengers

New Delhi : The passengers on board Air India flight from the Delhi to Kolkata flight, which was today delayed due to Trinamool Congress MP Dola Sen, said that she did not cooperate with the staff.

Devendra Singh, a co-passenger, said that he did not know whether she misbehaved with the staff as he was seated in the end row.

Singh told ANI, "The lady came on board with her mother. The troop asked to interchange to a safer seat as she could not be seated in the emergency exit row, but she refused to accept their request and held the flight for an hour."

Another co-passenger claimed that the TMC lawmaker misbehaved with the cabin crew.

"The cabin crew asked to interchange her seat.the seat-11th row is that of an emergency seat. In an emergency situation, her elderly mother who was seated on an emergency seat would not be able to operate that seat," he said.

"The lady screamed and identified herself as the Member of Parliament, she did throw her weight. She would have cooperated with the airline which she did not," he added.

Congress MP Om Prakash Mishra, who was also a co-passenger, said that he was not aware whether Sen misbehaved with the cabin crew but added that she didn't cooperate and the flight was delayed.

Earlier in the day, the Air India issued a clarification stating that Sen did not ask for a wheel chair for her mother while booking seats for the Kolkata bound flight.

The national air carrier further said that the parliamentarian had booked two seats, adding a passenger with wheel chair cannot be seated near the emergency exit as per the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) rule.

"There was no remark of wheel chair during booking, but when all the passengers boarded the flight one passenger was in wheel chair. Cabin crew requested that a wheel chair passenger can't travel in emergency exit as per CAR rule. However, MP Dola Sen started screaming," it said.

The Air India officials said that Sen was offered a business class ticket, but the parliamentarian refused.

"Passengers- on board and captain of flight intervened and finally the flight departed after 39 minutes of the scheduled time," it said. (ANI)