Bhubaneswar: The comment of Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh that nobody could stop his state from utilising Mahanadi water has triggered sharp reactions in Odisha.

While the BJD, which has been opposing the unilateral move of Chhattisgarh to construct a number of barrages in the upstream of the Mahanadi, described it as "political dadagiri", Samajwadi Party activists today burnt an effigy of Singh.

On the other hand, the BJP has asked the state government to be fully prepared and argue in the Tribunal and Supreme Court properly to protect the interests of Odisha instead of politicising the issue.

"Nobody can stop Chhattisgarh from utilising Mahanadi water," Singh said at Raigarh in the neighbouring state on Tuesday. He said the Odisha government was trying to politicise the issue.

Raman said the Mahanadi issue was invariably raised when elections were around.

However, BJD vice-president and Rajya Sabha member Prasanna Acharya said: "Chhattisgarh is doing political dadagiri. It should remember the Mahanadi water is nobody's paternal property."

BJP state vice-president Samir Mohanty said: "The state should go to the tribunal and Supreme Court fully prepared with all required documents instead of going for political campaigns."

Sharing of the Mahanadi water has been a bone of contention between Odisha and Chhattisgarh following the construction of a number of barrages in the Mahanadi upstream.

The Odisha government has forced the central government to form a tribunal to adjudicate the river dispute by moving the Supreme Court. The BJD also launched the Save Mahanadi campaign, which concluded last Friday.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a party rally in Cuttack, attacked the Naveen Patnaik government for misleading the people on the Mahanadi water-sharing issue. He held the Odisha government responsible for the situation that has arisen over the issue.

On the other hand, the BJD and Congress had accused Modi of misleading the people on the Mahanadi issue.

Earlier, Naveen had criticised the BJP leaders of the state saying they were crocodile tears.

"If they want the protection of the state's interests, they should oppose the Chhattisgarh government's move," he had said.