250 Dalit families have announced plans to convert to Islam after they were reportedly denied entry into temples in Vedaranyam and Karur districts in Tamil Nadu, the New Indian Express reported.

Reuters

200 Dalit families near Vedaranyam claim to have been banned from participating in the temple festival, while 35 Dalit families in Karur complai that they were barred from even entering the local Mahasakhthi Amman temple. They claim that the temple was built using their contributions.

The Dalits also said that the state Thowheed Jamath, an organisation that preaches Islam, has met them to support their decision. Meanwhile, local Hindu organisations also reportedly contacted them.

newindianexpress.com

This is not the first time the Dalit community has played the conversion card.

In August last year, around 100 families in Hissar district in Haryana, converted to Islam claiming that they were forced to take the step as the government failed to address their complaints against their khap panchayat's casteist remarks.

More recently, over 800 Valmikis, fighting civic authorities to save their houses from demolition in Rampur, "converted" to Islam in April this year as a form of protest.