Ludhiana, Jan. 7 -- The state transport separtment has diverted 117 government buses for a political event scheduled to be held on January 8 at the Indoor Stadium here, where chief minister Bhagwant Mann and senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders are to attend the oath-taking ceremony of zila parishad members who recently got elected.

Officials confirmed that 69 buses of Punjab Roadways and 48 buses of the Punjab Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) have been deployed to ferry party workers and supporters from different districts to the event. These buses are otherwise used for daily public transport services across the state.

The move has drawn criticism from commuters who said that using government buses for a political function has caused incon...