Eiffel Tower employees claimed that female workers were specifically instructed to stay out of sight during the delegation’s visit.
Published: September 9, 2026, 7:30 AM IST
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‘Purely between concerned entities’: India steps away from row over Hindu group’s Eiffel Tower visit
(Image: AFP)
India on Tuesday reacted to the controversy surrounding the Eiffel Tower after its staff went on strike over allegations that female employees were asked to step away from their workstations during a private visit by a Hindu religious delegationThe dispute relates to a recent visit by a delegation associated with the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS)Eiffel Tower employees alleged that some women were instructed to leave certain positions while male colleagues took over their duties as the delegation moved through the monument.
Responding to the controversy, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the issue was between the organisations involved.
“We are aware of the opening of a temple by the BAPS Sanstha in the Paris areaAs to the particular issue pertaining to the Tower, this is a matter purely between the entities concerned,” Jaiswal said on Tuesday.
French leaders condemn incident
The allegations have sparked criticism from several French political leaders, who questioned why such arrangements were allowed during the private visit.
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire described the reported decision by the Eiffel Tower management as unacceptable.
France’s Equality Minister Aurore Berge also criticised the incident, saying women should not be expected to make themselves invisible because of their genderShe stressed that religious beliefs cannot take precedence over the laws of the French Republic.
What happened at the Eiffel Tower?
Eiffel Tower employees claimed that female workers were specifically instructed to stay out of sight during the delegation’s visitIn a statement, staff members condemned what they described as workplace instructions that resulted in women being sidelined or replaced because of their sex.
The employees said they were shocked and upset at being placed in such a situation.
Diane Davoine, a union representative, told Reuters that women working at the Eiffel Tower were asked to leave their usual workstations as members of the delegation passed through different areas.
According to Davoine, male employees were brought in to replace some of the women at those locations.
She said the incident left female employees feeling humiliated and angry, particularly because they believed they had been excluded from their workplaces solely because they were women.
The controversy eventually led Eiffel Tower employees to stage a strike, resulting in the temporary closure of the iconic Paris landmark.
