Bangalore: Former Bangalore police commissioner H T Sangliana today (Jan 24, 2004) said he had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to fight against corruption and he would strive to remove the "communal qualification" given to the party.

Speaking to reporters in Bangalore on his arrival from Delhi, where he joined BJP in the presence of party president Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday, he said the Telgi fake stamp paper scam was not an issue that made him to join BJP.

Sangliana, who was the city police commissioner when prime accused in the scam Telgi was arrested said it was "mischievous" to interpret that he was being used as a "weapon" by the BJP.

Asked about BJP targeting former minister Roshan Baig and demanding his arrest in connection with the Telgi scam, he said the party was saying that he was under doubt and therefore there was nothing wrong in their demanding that it should be cleared.

To a query, he declined to say whether Telgi had during his interrogation mentioned the name of Baig.

Sangliana said as police commissioner he had recommended to the state government to hand over the scam to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for investigation as it was a "federal agency" and as he did not want the investigation by the State police team, which could be influenced by officers who allegedly took money from Telgi.

Saying that BJP was not a communal party, he said the party was gradually dissociating from "communal and sectarian feelings". Its 'hindutva' meant Indianness and it should be explained to the minorities. "We cannot have majority and minority confrontation".