New Delhi/ Bhubaneswar, Dec. 9: The Polavaram controversy founds its echo both in Parliament and the Odisha Assembly today.

In New Delhi, in a rare display of solidarity, which a BJD MP described as "historical", leaders cutting across party lines from Odisha came out in one voice against the execution of the Polavaram dam project in Andhra Pradesh which, they said, would harm the state's interest hugely.

Such was the show of unity that in the Rajya Sabha, a BJD rebel, a Congress leader and a BJD-backed Independent MP was seen holding a single placard together and raising slogans along with several BJD leaders.

Pyarimohan Mohapatra, who rebelled against BJD chief Naveen Patnaik in 2012 and launched his own outfit Odisha Jan Morcha, was seen holding the placard with lone Congress MP from Odisha Ranjib Biswal and Independent MP A.V. Swamy.

The leaders registered their protest over the construction of the project without addressing concerns of the people of Odisha, whose land would be submerged due to the dam.

Today's protest was provoked by the government's stand on the issue in the Rajya Sabha yesterday. The government had stated that almost one-third of the project's work was over and till September the Centre had released Rs 345 crore.

While construction is on in full swing, there is hardly any concern about the villagers of Malkangiri district in Odisha, who would lose their land, said BJD MP Anubhav Mohanty.

"We are not opposed to Polavaram dam project. All that we want is that the Centre and Andhra Pradesh government must address the concerns of people and must keep Odisha government in the loop," Mohanty said.

He said it was "historic" occasion that Mohapatra, a Naveen bête noire, and Biswal of Congress were demanding scrapping of the project that was pushed by the UPA government in a big way.

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act passed during UPA time says the central government will bear 100 per cent cost for construction of the Polavaram project. The Centre will bear Rs 10,874 crore on this project that is likely to be completed by March 2018.

The project was started in October 2004. Without protective embankment, four villages and 648 hectare of land will be submerged while eight villages and 800 hectare of land in Chhatisgarh will be submerged.

According to plans, the Andhra Government will provide Rs 621 crore to states of Odisha and Chhatisgarh for construction of embankment to protect submerging of land. Protective embankments will be constructed along the rivers Saberi and Sileru in both the states.

"Embankment is a dangerous idea. If it collapses, the loss could be enormous. We are not in favour of embankment," Mohapatra said.

He said he joined hands to protest to "protect Odisha's interest".

Biswal said that the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh might have pushed the project, but the Odisha Congress was never in favour of the project.

"The Congress unit in Odisha was always against the project. Since it is a state issue, I joined hands with BJD leaders," Biswal said.

BJD floor leader Dilip Tirkey said that the Andhra Pradesh government was increasing the height of the dam from 150ft to 186ft. This will lead to submergence of more areas in Odisha and Chhatisgarh than was estimated earlier.

"We want proper discussion. The government must assure that Andhra government and the Centre must take Odisha government into confidence on this matter," Tirkey said.

The National Monitoring Committee (NMC) set up department of land resources on rehabilitation and resettlement and rehabilitation of evacuees of land acquisition projects recently expressed displeasure over the Andhra Pradesh government's not giving factual position on displaced persons, compensation paid and possession taken for Polavaram dam.

The tribal affairs ministry officials told the NMC that it had received information from states of Chhatisgarh and Odisha that around 12,978 and 5,707 tribals would be affected in the two states due to the Polavaram project.

In Bhubaneswar, members of the BJD today disrupted proceedings of the Odisha Assembly today on the issue. Ministers also joined party legislators and staged a dharna on the Assembly complex.

BJD leaders here accused the NDA government of being no different from the UPA on the issue of Polavaram.

They said that the project was being executed despite the matter being sub judice.

"The central government backs the project being opposed by Odisha, Chhatisgarh and Telangana. The NDA government will provide an assistance of Rs 10,000 crore," said BJD spokesman Pratap Jena.

Rebutting the allegations, the BJP accused the BJD government of treating the project lightly and make noises only when it suited them.

The Congress, on the other hand, said that if the government decided to send an all-party delegation, it would be part of it.

Today, when the Assembly met in the morning, BJD members raised slogans against the Centre and prime minister Narendra Modi for ignoring the state's interest. Naveen was not present in the house. Most of the ministers esxpressed solidarity but they did not join in the sloganeering.

Congress MLAs, too, rushed to the well in protest against certain remarks made against the Opposition parties by the chief minister yesterday during the debate on supplementary budgetary grants of the home department. They also protested against detention of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) state president, who was taken into custody during a demonstration outside the residence of higher education minister Pradeep Panigrahi on the issue of Ramadevi Women's University.

Speaker NIranjan Pujari, who had to adjourn the house, called an all-party meeting to resolve the issue.

Later, Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said that the Chief minister had accused the Opposition of indulging in "petty politics".

"But the ruling party's petty mind was exposed when the NSUI state president was detained for leading a demonstration," he said.

BJD chief whip Ananta Das later clarified that the chief minister had not made any offensive or caustic remark against the Opposition.

"He had urged people to rise above petty politics," said Das.