Eiffel Tower reopens: Why Hindu group visit sparked closure
A request involving female staff triggered worker anger, a strike and probe
Dubai: The Eiffel Tower reopened on Tuesday after workers shut down one of the world’s most famous landmarks in protest over instructions allegedly restricting female staff from interacting with a visiting Hindu delegation.
The controversy erupted after around 100 members of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a global Hindu organisation headquartered in India, visited the Eiffel Tower on Saturday.
Diane Davoine of the CGT union told AP that employees had been instructed that female workers should “not be in contact” with the delegation.
She said some women were asked to leave their work positions so that male employees could replace them.
That sparked anger among staff and led to Monday’s strike, which closed the 330-metre landmark to visitors.
The Eiffel Tower reopened on Tuesday.
WHAT SPARKED THE ROW?
Who visited?: Around 100 members of BAPS, a global Hindu organisation headquartered in India, visited the Eiffel Tower on Saturday.
What do workers allege? A union representative says female employees were told not to have contact with the delegation and some were replaced at their posts by male colleagues.
What does BAPS say? It says arrangements were never intended as a gender-based request and that such a suggestion does not reflect its values. It apologised to anyone hurt or inconvenienced.
What does Eiffel Tower management say? SETE acknowledged a request to limit “interactions with women” and said such conditions should not have been accepted, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV.
Why did the tower close? Anger over the incident prompted employees to strike on Monday. The Eiffel Tower reopened on Tuesday.
What happens now? Paris authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
BAPS disputed suggestions that it had sought arrangements based on gender, saying its coordination with Eiffel Tower management was intended to minimise disruption to staff and visitors.
“It was never, at any point, intended as a request rooted in gender,” BAPS said in a statement, adding that such a suggestion did not reflect the organisation’s values or those of the delegation.
It nevertheless offered “sincere apologies to anyone who may have been hurt or inconvenienced by this situation”.
‘Women were humiliated’
Davoine said Eiffel Tower staff routinely accommodated special delegations, including visiting presidents, royalty and celebrities, but described Saturday’s instructions as exceptional and “unacceptable”.
“Women were asked to leave their places of work in order to place men there,” she said, according to CNN.
She said female employees felt “humiliated” by what had happened.
The Eiffel Tower Operating Company (SETE) acknowledged that the delegation had requested a visit limiting “interactions with women”, CNN reported, citing its affiliate BFMTV.
According to the report, SETE said the conditions “should not have been accepted”.
BAPS, however, said that to the best of its knowledge nobody had been prevented from accessing the Eiffel Tower and stressed its commitment to “equality, mutual respect, and service to all, regardless of gender, background, or belief”.
Paris launches investigation
The controversy has prompted an investigation by Paris authorities.
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said gender equality must apply without exception.
“Gender equality will never stop at the foot of our historic monuments, or anywhere else in this city,” he said.
France’s Minister for Gender Equality and the Fight Against Discrimination, Aurore Bergé, also described the alleged incident as “unacceptable”.
“In France, gender equality is neither negotiable nor subject to varying standards,” she said.
The row has attracted attention in India, with social media users questioning why Eiffel Tower management would have agreed to restrictions involving female employees.
BAPS was in France for celebrations surrounding the inauguration of a new traditional Hindu stone temple in Paris.
The organisation said thousands of devotees had participated in events in recent days, including a procession in Bussy-Saint-Georges led by women and girls and a boat procession on the River Seine involving more than 5,500 devotees.
BAPS operates major Hindu temples around the world, including the Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Jersey and the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi, inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024.
The Eiffel Tower, built 137 years ago, attracts around seven million visitors annually and has previously been affected by industrial action. It was closed for six days in February 2024 during a strike over maintenance and wages.
