NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on Wednesday said the Gujarat Assembly's decision to club Jainism and Buddhism with Hinduism is in "contravention'' of the October 23, 1993, notification classifying Buddhists as a ``minority community.''

In a statement, the Commission urged the Gujarat Government to re-examine the matter as it affected the rights of a religious minority.

Also, it requested the Centre to consider the implications of the decision for the NCM Act, 1992, and the 1993 notification classifying Buddhists as minorities along with Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Parsis.

Since the Commission's jurisdiction extends only to Buddhists, it has confined itself to commenting on the implications of the decision on this community alone.

Stating that Buddhism was one of the great religions of the world and has its adherence in many lands, the NCM warned: ``Any move to impinge on the distinct identity of Buddhism and its adherents would have ramifications that are best avoided.''

The decision to amend the anti-conversion law to club Jains and Buddhists with Hindus drew criticism from the Congress. Criticising the move, party spokesperson Satyavrat Chaturvedi said this was not the first time that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had attempted to equate other religions with Hindus.

Earlier, RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan had sought to link the Sikh community with Hindus, he said.

Mr. Chaturvedi said the Bharatiya Janata Party Government in Gujarat had made a dual attack on the people of the State: First against the fundamental right to propagate the religion of their choice and now by projecting Jains and Buddhists as part of the Hindu community and trying to end their separate and independent identity.

In a separate release, the Indian Justice Party (IJP) described the decision as a retrograde step, which would adversely affect the secular fabric of the country.

Also, the IJP said it was highly arbitrary on the part of the Gujarat Government to convert the religious identity of a community in this fashion.

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