PM Modi arrives in French port city of Marseille, hails V D Savarkar

Paris: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Marseille in southern France and paid homage to the memory of freedom fighter V D Savarkar, who attempted a "courageous escape" at the port city.

"Landed in Marseille. In India's quest for freedom, this city holds special significance. It was here that the great Veer Savarkar attempted a courageous escape,” Modi said in a post on X after arriving there Tuesday night (local time).

He added, "I also want to thank the people of Marseille and the French activists of that time who demanded that he not be handed over to British custody. The bravery of Veer Savarkar continues to inspire generations!”

The prime minister received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora upon his arrival in Marseille.

In a late night post (IST 4.18 am) on X, Modi said, "President Macron and I reached Marseille a short while ago. This visit will witness important programmes aimed at further connecting India and France. The Indian consulate which is being inaugurated will deepen people-to-people linkages. I will also pay homage to the Indian soldiers martyred in First and Second World Wars."

During British colonial rule, freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar had attempted an escape from captivity on July 8, 1910, while he was being transported on board the British ship Morea to India to stand trial.

He is known to have slipped out of the ship's porthole and managed to swim ashore before being captured by the French authorities and then handed back into the custody of the British ship authorities. It triggered a major diplomatic row as Savarkar went on to be sentenced to life imprisonment at Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Prime Minister Modi is in Marseille to inaugurate a new Consulate General of India with French President Emmanuel Macron.

The leaders have a series of engagements planned for Wednesday, including an expected visit to the Mazargues War Cemetery to honour the sacrifice of Indian soldiers who died fighting in the World Wars.

A tour of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, an international nuclear fusion collaboration, is also on their agenda.

Earlier on Tuesday, they addressed the AI Action Summit and the 14th India-France CEOs Forum.

This is Modi's sixth visit to France. From France, Modi will travel to the US on the second leg of his two-nation tour.