Not only did he decide against the speech but also made sure that he was nowhere close to the gurdwara today.

An announcement yesterday had generated great curiosity after Ahluwalia's angry letter addressed to Sonia Gandhi criticising the party for letting leaders like H.K.L. Bhagat and Sajjan Kumar in the election process. He had also been issued a show-cause notice by the party as a disciplinary action.

``I could not let myself be used as political tool. Today is Gurpurab and I am not going to the gurdwara even for a darshan,'' said Ahluwalia, who back-tracked after events which followed his announcement. ``Is the gurdwara a platform to play politics? I changed my mind after people started calling me since morning about my visit to the gurdwara,'' he added.

According to sources, some senior BJP leaders had approached Ahluwalia to join them. His statement against Congress is being read as pro-BJP. Apparently when Sushma Swaraj came to the gurdwara, she presented a garland to the Sikhs there. A wisecrack was made saying she should be presenting it to Ahluwalia.

Ahluwalia refused to comment when asked whether the BJP had approached him directly. ``There was danger that the Akalis would elevate me unnecessarily. I don't want that,''said Ahluwalia. The Sikhs are in a dilemma as the BJP also has failed to deliver and the Congress has ignored the riots issue by elevating the riot-accused leaders.

``The 1984 riots were not the figment of imagination of the Sikhs. Neutral parties have testified that somebody's fathers, mothers and siblings were killed in the riots,'' said a Sikh at the gurdwara.

Ahluwalia claims that he has single-handedly tried to bring back the alienated Sikhs from the Congress since 1984 riots. ``This was the best chance for the Congress to get them back since the BJP had been unable to deliver what they had promised,'' he said. ``I had written to Sonia Gandhi in 1988 saying that she should do some charity work for the widows of the riots but she paid no heed,'' he said.

He also said that the show-cause notice had not fazed him. ``I don't earn my living as a politician and can leave it anytime,'' denying rumours that he would be joining the BJP.