Bangalore: A day after the Centre said that Karnataka has agreed to release Krishna waters to Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N Dharam Singh today (Jul 24, 2004) asserted that water had not so far been let out from the Almatti dam.

"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Water Resources Minister Priyaranjan Das Munshi had a telephonic talk with me on Andhra Pradesh's request", he told reporters in Bangalore.

Singh however said that the Government would spell out its stand on the water release in the legislature on July 26 but declined to divulge what it had in mind.

An official statement in Delhi had said Singh had assured Priyaranjan Das Munshi that water would be released from today. The Chief Minister however dismissed it as an "official version".

An all party delegation from Andhra Pradesh led by Chief Minister Rajashekahra Reddy had called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday and sought his intervention to prevail upon Karnataka to spare 50 tmcft of Krishna waters.

Refuting BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leaders claim that water has already been released, Singh accused them of politicising the issue.

When his attention was drawn to the fast launched by former Union Minister Basavaraj Patil Yatnal, who represents Bagalkot Parliamentary constituency, Singh charged that the BJP leaders were politicising the issue.