PM opens consulate in Marseille

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday jointly inaugurated a new Indian consulate in Marseille, and visited the Mazargues War Cemetery in the southern port city to pay tribute to Indian soldiers killed during World Wars I and II.

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Modi pointed to Marseille's historic links with India, and particularly highlighted how VD Savarkar, later a leading figure of the Hindu Mahasabha, attempted a daring escape here.

In 1910, Savarkar was arrested in the UK on charges of waging war against the state and put on the ship SS Morea to be sent back to India. When the vessel docked at Marseille, Savarkar slipped away and swam ashore.

He was detained by French authorities and handed back to the British.

"During the First World War, it (Marseille) was an important base for Indian troops.... In India's quest for freedom, this city holds special significance. It was here that the great Veer Savarkar attempted a courageous escape. 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," Modi tweeted on Wednesday morning.

To be sure, Savarkar is a controversial figure in domestic politics as the person credited with propagating the concept of Hindutva, and is often the subject of bitter debates between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Opposition led by the Congress.