France's far-right National Front (FN) party has suspended founder Jean-Marie Le Pen over a string of controversial remarks amid a deepening feud with daughter Marine, who now leads the party.

A disciplinary meeting of the party executive was called after the 86-year-old repeated comments stating the Nazi gas chambers were merely "a detail of history" and that he wanted to defend the "white world".

Mr Le Pen has previously praised France's World War II leader, Philippe Petain, who collaborated with the Nazis.

His daughter called the comments "political suicide" and said she would not support her father's bid for the regional polls.

Marine Le Pen, the National Front party leader, has suspended her father Jean-Marie. ( Reuters: Charles Platiau )

A special meeting of FN members will be called within three months to decide whether to strip him of the title of honorary president, the party said in a statement.

A furious Mr Le Pen described his suspension as a "criminal act" and said he wanted to disown his daughter, ordering her to "give up her name".

He warned party officials should expect him to use "any means" to fight the decision.

The far-right patriarch showed up on Monday for a meeting at the FN headquarters in Nanterre, west of Paris, to discuss upcoming regional elections.

But he refused to stay for the disciplinary hearing that was called by his daughter, who took over the leadership in 2011.

Mr Le Pen said the hearing was "detrimental to my dignity".

He told reporters there was no question of his retirement, saying "they will have to kill me" to silence him.

On Sunday, Ms Le Pen said her father no longer spoke for the anti-immigration party, which opposes France's membership of the European Union.

"Jean-Marie Le Pen should no longer be able to talk in the name of the National Front, his comments are against the fixed (party) line," she told French radio.

Ms Le Pen has been actively trying to distance the party from its racist and anti-Semitic image as she planned her bid for the next French presidential election in 2017.

AFP