Marx and Engels not untouchables: Mamata

Kolkata, April 9 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday said her government did not regard Karl Marx or Frederich Engels as "untouchables", in the backdrop of a recommendation made by a syllabus committee to trim the "over presence" of their political philosophy in history text books at the higher secondary level.

"I have full regard for the left movement in the country. I salute both, the nationalist movement and the left movement in India," the chief minister said at a programme here.

"We have never regarded Karl Marx or Lenin as untouchables," she said.

"Anyone can have his personal likes and dislikes. But we cannot reject one, just to express our liking for the other," said Banerjee at the state assembly, after unveiling an oil portrait of former chief minister Prafulla Chandra Sen.

After Banerjee's Trinamool Congress ended the 34-year rule of the Marxists in last year's assembly polls, the school education syllabus committee appointed by her government has decided to reduce the overdose of Marxism in the new history syllabi for Classes XI and XII.

The 19-member committee will submit its recommendations to the government this week.