Pratibha claims divine premonition on greater role

Mount Abu, India - After her controversial remarks on the women's veil, the UPA-Left Presidential nominee Pratibha Patil has now claimed to have spoken to a late spiritual leader from whom she got a "divine premonition" of greater responsibility coming her way.

"I had a pleasant experience," Patil recounted to private news television channel about her recent meeting here with head of Brahma Kumaris World Spritual University, Hridaymohini, popularly known as 'dadiji'.

The university is affiliated as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) with the UNICEF. Patil was in Mount Abu when Congress President Sonia Gandhi called her to seek her consent for her being nominated as a UPA-Left candidate.

" Dadiji ke shareer mein baba aye (her reference was to Dada Lekhraj who founded Brahma Kumari sect. Lekhraj died in 1969).

Patil claimed that the late Baba 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 named the UPA-Left candidate, Patil had triggered a controversy with her remarks that women in Rajasthan had to wear veil to protect themselves from the invading Mughals.