Women ‘made invisible’ at Eiffel Tower during Hindu group’s visit, sparking protest

The Eiffel Tower reopened on Tuesday after staff protested against the alleged sidelining of female employees during a private visit by a Hindu religious delegation linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).

The Paris landmark was closed on Monday after employees held a meeting over the incident, which reportedly saw female workers asked to leave their posts while the delegation passed through.

According to Reuters, the delegation of around 100 people visited the Eiffel Tower privately on Saturday. Diane Davoine, a union representative, said female employees were asked to leave their workstations and were replaced by male colleagues.

“Women were asked to leave their workstations so that men could take their places,” Davoine told Reuters, adding that staff wanted to ensure women would never again be treated in such a manner.

The Eiffel Tower’s operating company, SETE, acknowledged that the delegation had requested the visit be organised to limit “interactions with women”. The company said such conditions “should not have been accepted”, according to Al Jazeera.

In a statement, Eiffel Tower employees condemned what they described as professional instructions that led female workers to be “sidelined, replaced and made invisible because of their sex”.

The incident has prompted criticism from French political leaders. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said an investigation would be launched “as soon as possible”, while National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet said welcoming others should never require France to abandon its values.

“In France, women are fully present in public life. No one tells them to become invisible,” Braun-Pivet said.

BAPS, meanwhile, apologised for “any pain or inconvenience caused” by the visit but disputed the suggestion that anyone had been prevented from accessing the Eiffel Tower.

“Due to the size of our delegation, the visit was arranged in conjunction with the Eiffel Tower team at the start of normal operating hours to avoid disrupting or inconveniencing others,” the organisation said.

What is BAPS?

Newslaundry reported that BAPS is a major Hindu religious organisation rooted in the Swaminarayan tradition, with more than 5,000 centres and over a million followers worldwide, according to the organisation.

Founded formally in Gujarat in 1907, BAPS is particularly known for its large and intricately built Swaminarayan temples across India and countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the UAE.

Its latest major project is a temple in Bussy-Saint-Georges, near Paris, which was inaugurated earlier this month as what BAPS describes as France’s first traditional Hindu temple. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the inauguration virtually and described the temple as a milestone in India-France cultural relations.

The organisation has longstanding ties with Modi. According to Newslaundry, Modi has spoken of his close relationship with Pramukh Swami Maharaj, one of BAPS’s most influential spiritual leaders, describing their relationship as similar to that of a father and son.

Modi has also participated in several BAPS temple projects overseas, including the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi, which he inaugurated in 2024.

Why the controversy over women?

At the centre of the Eiffel Tower controversy is BAPS’s strict religious code for its sadhus, or monks.

Newslaundry reported that BAPS monks follow nishkam dharma, a discipline of complete celibacy that goes beyond abstaining from sexual relationships. Under the organisation’s stated rules, sadhus are expected not to talk to, touch or associate with women.

BAPS describes this as an eight-fold form of celibacy prescribed by Bhagwan Swaminarayan and says the restrictions are intended as spiritual discipline rather than discrimination against women.

The rules apply specifically to sadhus and not to ordinary BAPS followers. The organisation maintains separate religious and social activities for men and women.

However, the practice of strict gender separation has previously attracted criticism.

Previous controversies

BAPS has also faced controversy over its activities elsewhere. Newslaundry reported that six Dalit workers from Rajasthan filed a lawsuit in a US federal court in 2021 alleging that they and nearly 200 other Indian workers had been brought to the United States to work on a BAPS temple in New Jersey and subjected to forced labour and severe working conditions.

The workers alleged passport confiscation, low wages, excessive working hours, caste-based abuse and restrictions on their movement. BAPS disputed the allegations and denied responsibility for the alleged labour violations.

BAPS temples have also faced vandalism amid tensions involving the Khalistan movement in parts of the Indian diaspora.

The Eiffel Tower controversy, meanwhile, remains under investigation, with French authorities and the landmark’s management facing pressure to determine how the decision to remove female staff was made and whether such instructions were consistent with French workplace and equality principles.