Former Union minister and BJP national secretary Bandaru Dattatreya today met the Dalai Lama here while taking part in Kalachakra event and discussed with him various issues for 15 minutes. Later speaking to newsmen, Dattatreya said he had expressed concern over people being converted to other religions with the influence of money.

Every person has freedom to choose his religion but one should not be forced to change his religion by force or by the influence of money, he said.

The Dalai Lama in turn asked the BJP leader to take interest in preserving and protecting the historical prominence of Amaravati, from where Buddhism had spread far and wide.

Dattatreya said he had conveyed BJP?s solidarity with the cause for which the Dalai Lama had been struggling hard.

The BJP leader welcomed the State Government?s interest in providing arrangements for Kalachakra.