'They want Congress-mukt Bharat': Kharge in his first address as Cong chief

New Delhi, Oct 26: Veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who formally took over as Congress president on Wednesday launched an attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and said 'democratic values' established by his party were being upturned.

Kharge thanked people for making a worker's son and an ordinary worker, president of the party.

"I know it is a difficult time, efforts are being made to change democracy established by Congress," Kharge said after taking over as party chief.

"The Congress will break this system of lies and hatred that is prevailing in the country," he said.

Kharge also hailed Rahul Gandhi for embarking on the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which, he said, is filling the country with a new energy.

Kharge said the Udaipur Declaration's proposals such as 50 per cent party posts to be given to those below 50 years of age, filling up organisational vacancies, setting up public insight department and election management department, establishing political affairs committee in states, will be implemented.

"What kind of new India is this where youth are not getting jobs, farmers are being crushed under jeeps, atrocities taking place against women are rising, people are reeling under price rise but government is sitting with eyes closed, government is helping a few crony capitalist friends," Kharge was quoted saying by PTI.

"In this new India, hunger is rising, cost of education is rising, pollution is rising. The government is sleeping but ED, CBI are working for 24 hours for suppression. In this new India, Dalits, minorities and exploited people are being insulted and opportunities taken away from them...(Nathuram) Godse is called a patriot and (Mahatma) Gandhi is called a traitor, there are efforts to change Babasaheb's Constitution and replace it with Sangh's constitution," Kharge alleged.

To make this new India, they want a Congress-mukt Bharat but the party will not allow this, the former Union minister said.

Kharge became the first non-Gandhi to head the party in 24 years after defeating Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor in a direct contest for the president's post.