Eiffel Tower shuts after female staff allegedly sidelined during Hindu group's visit

NEW DELHI: The Eiffel Tower was closed to visitors on Monday after staff staged a walkout over allegations that female employees were moved away from their workstations during a visit by a Hindu religious group linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), as reported by Euronews.The iconic Paris landmark's operator, SETE, said the closure was due to "exceptional circumstances".The protest followed a visit by around 100 people linked to the BAPS Hindu movement, which inaugurated a new temple in France over the weekend.Diane Davoine, a union representative, told French TV that female workers had been "moved away from their workstations as the delegation passed by" during the group's visit on Saturday.Eiffel Tower employees condemned what they described as "professional instructions that led to female employees being sidelined, replaced and made invisible because of their sex."SETE acknowledged that the Hindu delegation had requested that the visit be organised to limit "interactions with women", but said "these conditions should not have been accepted."In a statement on Monday evening, the BAPS Hindu temple in Paris said it took the concerns "very seriously" and apologised for "any pain or inconvenience caused."

"Due to the size of our delegation, the visit was arranged in conjunction with the Eiffel Tower team at the start of normal opening hours to avoid disrupting or inconveniencing others," it said."To the best of our knowledge, at no point was anyone prevented access to the Eiffel Tower," it continued, adding that it believed in the "universal values of mutual respect and service."Paris mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said on X that he was "aware of the outcry among the employees of the Eiffel Tower" and called it "unacceptable" that such conditions were agreed to."These are not my values, nor are they the values that the Eiffel Tower should uphold, where everyone must be able to move about and act freely, without distinction between women and men," he wrote, adding that an investigation into the incident would be launched.National assembly president Yael Braun-Pivet also condemned the incident."I refuse to accept that women should be told to step aside to meet the demands of foreign visitors," she said.

"Welcoming others never means giving up our values. In France, women are fully present in public life. No one tells them to become invisible there."The incident comes day after the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) inaugurated its first major Hindu temple in France, marking a significant moment for the Hindu community in the country.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed India-France ties while addressing the inauguration of the Swaminarayan temple in Paris.

He said the strategic partnership between the two countries was particularly special as it was built on a foundation of long-standing cultural and political ties.The PM said he hoped the grand temple would stand for centuries as a symbol of cooperation and opportunity between India and France.“In recent years, relations between India and France have reached new heights. Together with my friend, President (Emmanuel) Macron, both nations are building a Special Global Strategic Partnership,” he said.