Lucknow, May 28 (IANS) Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav Friday reiterated his support for a caste-based census, terming it to be in the ‘larger interest of the downtrodden backward castes’.

Addressing a press conference here Friday, he said it was only being opposed by the ‘lobbies, which did not favour implementation of the Mandal Commission recommendations giving reservation to backward castes’.

‘Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was being unduly pressurised by anti-Mandal forces to oppose a caste-based census in the country,’ he added.