Patiala, April 5 -- Tension flared once again along the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border on Saturday, with protesters blocking the Kiratpur Sahib-Manali national highway for close to seven hours over the entry tax imposed by the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government. The government of the hill state on Tuesday had revised the entry tax from the earlier proposed Rs.130 to a flat Rs.100 for all non-Himachal passenger vehicles up to 12+ 1 capacity. But the protesters led by farmers and taxi unions staged a 'chakka jam' at Kiratpur Sahib, bringing traffic to a complete halt. The disruption resulted in a massive traffic jam stretching nearly 20 km, leaving thousands of commuters stranded for hours. Many travellers were forced to take longer detours through interior routes to reach their destinations. "We blocked the highway at around 9 am in protest against the illegal entry tax imposed by the Himachal Pradesh government, Gaurav Rana, convener, Punjab Morcha, said. Minister Harjot Singh Bains, who is MLA from Anandpur Sahib, rushed to the spot and held detailed talks with protesters to defuse the situation. However, he warned that if the Himachal Pradesh government failed to roll back the entry tax, Punjab would consider imposing a reciprocal tax in response. The minister also announced that the state government would move the Supreme Court, challenging provisions linked to Himachal Pradesh's 1975 Toll Act. He said the government would extend support to the protesters in pursuing the legal route, including approval of their chosen counsel. Bains further assured the protesters that a meeting with finance and transport minister Harpal Singh Cheema would be convened on Monday to discuss the issue. Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh Taxi Union president Ram Rattan Sharma joined the protesters and expressed solidarity, stating that legislators and ministers from border areas in Himachal were equally concerned and open to dialogue. He proposed an interstate meeting on Tuesday to resolve the matter. Following the assurances, the protest was called off at around 4 PM....