Former Union minister and Congress Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhury reacts to reports that an Auir India flight was delayed for 45 mintues as she had gone shopping.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Chodhury said, "If the flight was late due to "shopping", who asked them (Air India) to wait, if I was late, leave. I am not Dolly the sheep who has been cloned; how come I was in Chicago, when I was in Parliament.

"I have not not shopped. PERIOD: The flight was two hours late. Now it is the responsibility of Air India to establish that I was shopping. They officially have to confirm it. I was not in Chicago. I have not shopped. Air India has to produce evidence that I was shopping or else apologise."


An Air India flight to Hyderabad from Delhi, with Chowdhury and a Supreme Court judge on board, was held up for 45 minutes in Delhi after a senior Congress leader from Telangana did not turn up for boarding at the scheduled time as she was allegedly busy shopping.

"Last Friday, former Union minister and Congress Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhury was travelling to Hyderabad on Air India's Chicago-Delhi-Hyderabad flight AI-126, which was scheduled to take off at 1900 hours. Chowdhury did not turn up on time despite repeated announcements of the final call by the airline staff. She finally turned up after scheduled departure time but not before the pilot had missed his turn in the departure sequence," sources said.

Since her baggage had already gone on the flight, it was not possible to retrieve it at the last minute, sources said adding "Air India did not have an option but to wait for her."

Chowdhury finally turned up at 7.04pm, they said alleging she was in the shopping area doing shopping and because of her the flight got delayed by some 45 minutes.