Hindu group’s Eiffel Tower visit sparks uproar after female staff sidelined

The Eiffel Tower in Paris was closed on Monday following a staff strike over the exclusion of female employees during a private visit by a Hindu religious delegation. Female workers were reportedly ordered to step aside or remain out of sight during the visit, sparking outrage among staff and condemnation from French officials. The incident occurred during a visit by a group affiliated with the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a Hindu organization with close ties to India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The visit took place on Saturday, when around 100 members of the BAPS group arrived at the Eiffel Tower for a private tour. According to staff representatives, female employees were instructed to vacate their positions or avoid certain areas to prevent interaction with the delegation. Some were asked to leave their posts and retreat to other parts of the facility, while others were replaced by male colleagues. All female workers were directed not to pass through specific zones during the visit. The controversy escalated quickly, leading to a staff protest on Monday. The Eiffel Tower, managed by the Société d’exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), was closed throughout the day as employees met with management to address the issue. A union representative confirmed that management apologized for the incident and acknowledged that the conditions imposed by the BAPS delegation were unacceptable. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire, a member of the center-left Socialist Party, condemned the incident on social media, stating that gender equality must apply everywhere, including at historic landmarks. He announced that an internal investigation would be launched promptly to determine how such conditions were allowed to occur. Ariel Weil, the mayor of Paris’ central district and head of SETE, stated that an internal probe would look into how “overly zealous operations managers” implemented the directive. He emphasized that no religious group should be allowed to dictate workplace practices that violate fundamental principles of equality. French Equality Minister Aurore Bergé criticized the incident, stating that in France, no religion is above the law and that women should never be required to erase themselves. Far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen also voiced her opposition, saying France would never tolerate restrictions on women’s presence. The BAPS delegation visited the Eiffel Tower as part of celebrations marking the inauguration of its first major temple in France, located in the Paris suburbs. The event was attended virtually by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described it as a matter of great joy. In response to the controversy, the BAPS Paris branch issued a statement clarifying that, to the best of their knowledge, no one was prevented from accessing the Eiffel Tower. They expressed sincere apologies for any discomfort caused and reaffirmed their commitment to universal values of mutual respect and service. The BAPS delegation had requested that the visit be organized to minimize interactions with women, a condition that SETE admitted should not have been accepted. The company acknowledged that these requirements conflicted with its core values and the principles of gender equality. SETE promised to accept the consequences of the incident and pledged to conduct a thorough review of the circumstances. The Eiffel Tower, which typically welcomes nearly seven million visitors annually, reopened on Tuesday under normal conditions. However, the incident has sparked broader discussions about the balance between religious sensitivities and the enforcement of secular values in public institutions. The staff at the Eiffel Tower emphasized that they wanted to ensure such treatment of female employees would never happen again. Union representatives highlighted the need for transparency and accountability, urging management to take decisive action to prevent similar occurrences in the future. As the investigation unfolds, the focus remains on understanding how such directives were approved and whether there are systemic issues within the management structure that allowed this to happen. For now, the Eiffel Tower continues its operations, but the incident has left a lasting mark on its reputation and the discourse surrounding gender equality in public spaces.