GHARA MORHA/SHIMLA: In a dramatic turn of events on the simmering toll-tax row between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, sword-wielding Nihang Sikhs on Wednesday established what they called a "Khalsa Entry Tax" checkpoint on the Punjab-Himachal border and began collecting money from Himachal-registered vehicles passing through Punjab.
The Bhagwant Singh Mann seemed to have given free run to the Nihangs to collect tax illegally from Himachali vehicles entering Punjab from Himachal.
The controversial move unfolded near Gada on the Kiratpur-Manali National Highway after protests against the Himachal Pradesh government's decision to levy entry tax and toll charges on vehicles entering the hill state failed to yield any breakthrough.
Members of the Shiromani Jarnail Sahibzada Baba Jujhar Singh Nihang Singh Khalsa Dal set up the makeshift barrier and started charging ₹100 from private Himachal vehicles and up to ₹500 from larger commercial vehicles.
A large number of Nihang Sikhs armed with traditional weapons were present at the site as the collections continued openly.
The protesters claimed the "Khalsa Tax" was a direct response to what they described as the unfair financial burden imposed on Punjab's farmers, transporters and motorists at Himachal's border checkpoints.
They alleged that repeated demonstrations and talks with authorities had failed to produce any concrete result, leaving them with no option but to launch a tit-for-tat protest.
The development has raised serious questions over law and order and interstate relations, with critics asking how a parallel toll collection system could operate openly on a national highway.
The incident is likely to put both the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and the Himachal Pradesh government headed by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu under pressure as tensions over border taxation continue to mount.
The Khalsa Dal has warned that the collections will continue until the Himachal Pradesh government rolls back its entry tax policy, setting the stage for a prolonged standoff between the two neighbouring states.
