Sonia says she 'feels relieved' as Kharge takes charge of Congress

New Delhi, Oct 26: Congress outgoing president Sonia Gandhi said she was feeling relieved as Mallikarjun Kharge, took charge as the new president of the Congress on Wednesday.

"I extend my heartiest congratulations to the newly elected president Mallikarjun Kharge. Change is the rule of the world... Congress had faced a lot of difficulties earlier as well. But I am sure we will overcome the problems," said outgoing Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

"I Just said I felt relieved today. I will explain why I said that. I will remember and acknowledge the love and respect that I received till my last breath. But this respect was a huge responsibility as well. I shoulder the responsibility according to my capability. Today, I will be relieved of the responsibility. So naturally, I am feeling relieved," she said.

"The respect that you gave me all these years was also a big responsibility. Now, this responsibility will be on Kharge Ji," Sonia Gandhi said.

Mallikarjun Kharge took charge as Congress President at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi.

"In New India, hunger, pollution is increasing but Rupee is falling. Govt is sleeping but CBI, ED, and IT are working 24 hours. In new India, Godse is called a patriot & Mahatma Gandhi is an anti-national. They want to bring constitution of RSS," said Kharge after taking charge.

"To make a new India, they want Congress-free India as they know that as long as Congress is there, they can't do it. We will not let it happen and will continue to fight against it," he said.

The veteran Congress leader defeated his opponent Shashi Tharoor by a huge margin in the race to the party's top post, thus becoming the first non-Gandhi to take over the office after 24 years.

The senior leader got 7,897 votes in the presidential contest while his opponent Tharoor received 1,072 votes in the voting held on October 17.