PARIS — The iconic Eiffel Tower was forced to close its doors to the public on Monday as angry staff members walked off the job in protest against the controversial removal of female employees from their workstations during a recent visit by a prominent Hindu religious group. According to reports from Agence France-Presse (AFP), workers and management at the world-famous landmark confirmed that the strike was triggered by allegations that female staff were instructed to step aside and conceal themselves to accommodate the visiting delegation.
The labor action stems directly from a high-profile tour conducted on Saturday by a delegation of approximately 100 individuals associated with the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), as documented by BBC reporting. The group had traveled to the French capital for a major cultural and religious milestone, specifically the Sunday consecration of its first major temple in the Parisian suburbs—an inauguration ceremony that featured a virtual address by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to striking union representatives and employee accounts, female personnel stationed at the monument were explicitly ordered “to make themselves invisible in order to welcome this delegation.” Employees expressed profound shock at being subjected to such directives, detailing how some women were forced to abandon their assigned posts entirely and relocate to remote areas. In several instances, male workers were brought in to substitute for the displaced women, while all female employees faced strict prohibitions against walking through or crossing designated zones while the religious group was touring the premises.
SETE, the corporate entity responsible for managing the monument, acknowledged the controversy, revealing that the Hindu delegation had specifically requested a visit structured to minimize “interactions with women.” In an official statement, SETE admitted that accommodating such conditions “should not have been accepted,” noting that the arrangement directly contradicted the corporate values of the landmark and the fundamental French principle of gender equality. The management company further stated that it would fully “accept the consequences” of the incident. Meanwhile, BAPS Paris issued a response stating it respects “the concerns raised” and treats them with utmost seriousness, maintaining that to its knowledge, nobody was ever denied access to the monument. The organization offered an apology for “any pain or inconvenience caused,” emphasizing its dedication to mutual respect, while explaining that the early-morning visit was coordinated with the tower's team simply to prevent crowding.
The fallout swiftly drew severe condemnation from top French officials, led by Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire, who declared that placing such discriminatory conditions on municipal and historical staff is utterly unacceptable. Asserting that men and women must retain unhindered freedom of movement across the site without gender bias, Grégoire announced that an official investigation into the operational breakdown would be initiated. French Equality Minister Aurore Bergé reinforced this hardline stance on social media, proclaiming, “In France, we do not ask women to erase themselves. No dogma, no religion is above the laws of the Republic.” As the investigation looms, the incident has ignited a national debate over the intersection of foreign religious accommodations and France’s stringent secular and egalitarian laws.
Source: scroll.in • Read Original Reporting
