Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre was anti-Dalit and was trying to crack down on tribal and religious minority communities, NDTV reported.

“We are against the ideology of the Bharatiya Janata Party,” Gandhi said at the end of a day-long fast at Rajghat memorial in New Delhi that was held in protest against the alleged atrocities suffered by Dalits and minorities during the Modi government’s rule. “We are standing against it today, we will stand against it throughout our lives. And we will defeat them in the 2019 elections.”

Gandhi accused the prime minister of being casteist and alleged that he has no place for Dalits in his heart, IANS reported. “The whole country knows this, it is not a secret,” he said, replying to a question about Dalit MPs in the BJP writing to Modi to complain about the alleged harassment of Dalits.

The Congress leader did not name BJP National President Amit Shah, but lashed out at him for likening Opposition parties to “snakes, mongoose, dogs and cats”. Gandhi warned the government that the tide had turned.