PATNA: Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) patron and former union minister Sharad Yadav on Saturday opposed the Centre’s move to enumerate only OBCs in the 2021 census, terming it as “a mischievous step of the NDA government to further divide the population.”He said the government should ensure comprehensive data about caste and religion for all the groups including forward castes, backwards castes, SCs and STs in the forthcoming census.“The enumeration of only OBCs in the census seems to be a mischievous step of the government to further divide the population,” he said in a statement.“Now 90 years have passed when caste census in 1931 by British rule was conducted for India, which has changed completely, and therefore to decide our preferential policies for the population we should have a complete data to rely upon. The Centre should ensure comprehensive data about caste and religion for all the groups, including forward castes, backward castes and SCs and STs,” he said.Yadav further said he did not agree with the government to count OBCs only as a part of 2021 census. “Though the government claims that counting of the population belonging to SC/STs is a regular process, I do not also endorse the figures of the SC/STs population being released by the government. The population of SC/STs is much more than what we get from the data of the government. Therefore, there is utmost need to get the genuine figures of the population belonging to SC/STs in our country. I would insist that the census 2021 should be done which includes all castes whether in upper class or in the reservation categories,” he said.Yadav also said the people of this nation should know that as to what percentage of which caste is living in the country. The percentage numbers of upper castes and other non-reserved category are also vague. This makes it difficult to empirically prove the extent of dominance that upper castes have over wealth and power in the country.“Caste enumeration will help the government in deciding its schemes and policies for the reserved classes and also puncture the claims of inflated numbers of some castes which are often claiming their reservation,” former union minister pointed out.“Although I am of the firm opinion for annihilation of caste system in the country as contemplated by Baba Saheb Ambedkar, yet it is a universal truth that the people are still obsessed with the caste system in this country,” he said.