Matter between them: India distances itself from Eiffel Tower row over BAPS visit

The MEA said the Eiffel Tower dispute during a BAPS visit was a matter between the entities concerned. The row over alleged restrictions on female staff sparked a strike, followed by an apology from BAPS.The Eiffel Tower was closed to visitors on Monday after staff staged strike over allegations that female employees had been asked to leave their workstations. (Photo: AFP)The Ministry of External Affairs has distanced itself from the controversy surrounding a visit by a BAPS delegation to the Eiffel Tower, saying the dispute over how female employees were treated was strictly a matter between the parties involved.MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the comments at a media briefing in New Delhi on Tuesday, a day after workers at the Paris landmark alleged that female staff were asked to move away from their workstations during a private visit by members of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS)."We are aware of the opening of a temple by the BAPS Sanstha in the Paris area. As to the particular issue pertaining to the Tower, this is a matter purely between the entities concerned," Jaiswal said.WHY DID THE EIFFEL TOWER STAFF PROTEST?The Eiffel Tower was closed to visitors on Monday after staff staged protest over allegations that female employees had been asked to leave their workstations. The dispute followed a private visit by about 100 members of the Hindu organisation on Saturday. Diane Davoine, a representative of the workers' union, alleged that female employees were instructed to leave their workstations as the delegation passed through the monument. "During the visit of this delegation, women were asked to leave their places of work in order to place men there," Davoine told Reuters. She said some female workers were moved to other areas and replaced by male colleagues, while women were also instructed not to cross certain parts of the tower while the delegation was present.Davoine said the workers "felt humiliated" by the instructions and subsequently opened discussions with management to ensure that such an arrangement would not be repeated. The Societe d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), the company operating the landmark, acknowledged that the delegation had requested that interactions with women be limited. The company, however, said such conditions should never have been accepted.SETE president Ariel Weil said: "I restate the Eiffel Tower's commitment to republican values and to the equality of men and women."POLITICAL OUTRAGE OVER WOMEN STAFF ROWThe incident triggered a strong political backlash in France. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said the anger among Eiffel Tower workers was legitimate and described the reported conditions as unacceptable."It is not acceptable that such conditions can be tolerated," Gregoire said, adding that everyone working at the Eiffel Tower should be free to move and work regardless of gender.France's National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet also criticised the reported treatment of the women."I refuse to allow women to be compelled to step aside in order to meet the demands of foreign visitors. Welcoming others never means renouncing our values," she said. French Minister for Gender Equality and the Fight Against Discrimination Aurore Berge called the episode "unacceptable"."In France, we do not ask women to erase themselves. No dogma, no religion is above the laws of the Republic," she said.BAPS APOLOGISES OVER INCIDENTBAPS has apologised following the backlash, saying it took the concerns raised about the visit "very seriously". The BAPS Hindu temple in Paris said the visit had been organised in advance with Eiffel Tower teams and was scheduled around the beginning of normal opening hours to minimise disruption to other visitors."To our knowledge, at no time was access to the Eiffel Tower denied to anyone. Nevertheless, we wish to offer our sincere apologies to anyone who may have been hurt or inconvenienced by this situation. We are deeply committed to the universal values of mutual respect and service to others," BAPS said in a statement.The controversy also drew attention in India because Prime Minister Narendra Modi had virtually addressed during the inauguration of a BAPS temple in Paris. Asked about PM's participation, the MEA spokesperson said such virtual messages were a routine practice for the prime minister."It is a common practice for the Prime Minister to convey his good wishes on such occasions. In this case, it was done virtually. There is no cause for any comment in this regard," the MEA spokesperson said.The MEA's response effectively separated the temple inauguration and the Eiffel Tower dispute, making clear that the government did not intend to comment on the allegations involving the landmark.- EndsPublished By: Satyam SinghPublished On: Sep 8, 2026 19:48 IST