Quoting historian R C Majumdar, he added: "Bankim Chandra converted patriotism into religion and religion into patriotism'. These were criticisms made in those days, and I cannot be a party to such an approach."

"In 1907, anonymous pamphlets printed on lurid red paper were distributed, claiming that Muslims should not sing Vande Mataram and should not join the Swadeshi movement," Raja said, adding that several such incidents occurred between 1902 and 1915.

He noted that even the British Parliament debated the issue.

"The House of Commons discussed in 1907 why Vande Mataram created communal conflict and who was responsible. According to those discussions, the fault was not with the song but with those who said it was meant only for Hindus and that Muslims were prohibited from joining the (freedom) struggle," Raja said.

"The prime minister asks who did the division--the division was done by your forefathers, not by Muslims," he added.

At this point, House Chair Dilip Saikia intervened, objecting to the phrasing.

"What do you mean by your forefathers? It should be our forefathers," he said.

As Raja continued, Saikia remarked that he was "doing the post-mortem of Vande Mataram", prompting protests from the DMK member, who insisted he was citing historically documented debates.

Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghish Dastidar, who spoke in Bengali, said Vande Mataram is not only India's national song but also a legacy that millions sang to fuel the Independence struggle.

Those in power today often fail to grasp this sentiment, she said.