MOUNT ABU: The UPA-Left Presidential nominee Pratibha Patil claims to have spoken to a late spirirtual leader from whom she got a “divine premonition” of greater responsibility coming her way.

“I had a pleasant experience,” said Ms. Patil about her recent meeting here with the head of Brahma Kumaris World Spritual University, Hridaymohini, popularly known as ‘dadiji’. The university is affiliated as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) to The United Nations Children’s Fund .

Ms. Patil was in Mt. Abu when Congress President Sonia Gandhi called her to seek her consent for her nomination.

Ms. Patil claimed that the late Baba (referring to Dada Lekhraj, founder of the Brahma Kumari sect) spoke to her indicating that she should be prepared to shoulder greater responsibility. “He also made me very lucky,” she said.

Immediately after she was nominated , Ms. Patil had triggered a controversy with her remarks that women in Rajasthan had to wear veil to protect themselves from the invading Mughals.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday downplayed UPA-Left presidential candidate Pratibha Patil’s claim of receiving the divine premonition in New Delhi.

“We have not made a condition that the Presidential nominee has to be an atheist or non-believer,” party’s General Secretary Prakash Karat said. —PTI