WATCH: Rahul Gandhi heckled by Khalistani supporters in California

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was heckled by a group of Khalistani supporters during an event in the US state of California. Gandhi, who is on a 10-day US visit, was speaking at the 'Mohabbat Ki Dukaan' event on Tuesday when some people from the audience started raising slogans against him and the Gandhi family in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. They briefly interrupted his speech. However, Gandhi smiled and said: "Welcome, welcome ... nafrat ke bazaar mein mohabbat ki dukan."

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The Congress leader then joined his supporters in the audience and responded with 'Bharat Jodo' slogans. He said the interesting thing about the Congress party was that it had affection towards everybody. "If someone wants to come and say something regardless of what they are saying, we are happy to listen to them. We are not going to get angry, we are not going to get aggressive. We will nicely listen to it. In fact, we will be affectionate to them, will be loving to them. Because that's our nature," he said.

BJP's IT Cell Head Amit Malviya shared a clip of the incident on Twitter and wrote: "Rahul Gandhi heckled for the 1984 Sikh genocide (unleashed by the Congress), in America...aisi nafrat ki aag lagayi thi, jo ab tak nahi buji (the fire of hatred you ignited is still burning strong)."

Reacting to Malviya's jibe, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate asked him why he was supporting the pro-Khalistan elements to oppose Gandhi. "If you had listened further, you would have found out how the people raised Bharat Jodo slogan to give a reply to those Khalistani slogans. You also take the Tiranga and say 'Bharat Jodo'. Believe me, a traitor like you will also feel good," she tweeted.

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, too, shared the clip and said Gandhi was now "perceived as a leader of all separatist and Urban Naxals groups". "In this video of his US tour people raise Khalistan slogans and he smiles. Can you guess what does this mean? Dangerous times ahead," he said.