The government on Tuesday (September 8, 2026) faced questions over its links to a religious group whose allegedly “anti-women” demands caused the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris to shut down for a day, leading to a major political row in France. Paris city officials have begun a formal inquiry into the incident, and the Hindu group, known as BAPS, denied making any demands to “limit interactions” with women employees at the tower.

The shutdown came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a temple built by BAPS in a Paris suburb. In a 10-minute virtual address, Mr. Modi had called the construction a “new chapter” in India-France cultural relations. The External Affairs Ministry said the Prime Minister often addressed such events and India was not involved in the controversy at the Eiffel Tower. 

Eiffel Tower to reopen after row over removing women staff

According to officials managing the Eiffel Tower, BAPS leaders, who were in Paris for the temple’s inauguration and planned a weekend visit to the landmark, specifically asked for women employees to be moved out of sight of the delegation of monks, particularly their 93-year-old leader. The union of the Eiffel Tower employees, which called the one-day strike in solidarity with female colleagues, said the women, who had been replaced by men at certain posts, were instructed not to cross certain areas while the delegation was present.

“We are aware of the opening of a temple by the BAPS Sanstha in the Paris area. As to the issue pertaining to the Tower, this is a matter purely between the entities [BAPS and the Eiffel Tower authorities] concerned,” Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in his first response to the controversy.

Paris investigates claim of women being removed during Hindu delegation visit at Eiffel Tower

To a follow-up question from The Hindu on whether the government has asked BAPS for an explanation of its alleged demand to deny women employees access to parts of the Eiffel Tower or whether it would now distance itself from the group, Mr. Jaiswal said that it was a “common practice” for the Prime Minister to “convey his good wishes” on such occasions, and there would be no comment.

Earlier this year, India’s Ambassador to France, Sanjeev Singla, had spoken at a ceremony for the temple. India’s Ambassador to UNESCO, Vishal Verma, praised the BAPS group in a social media post on Tuesday and said his wife had participated in the “shilanyas” or stone-laying ceremony of the temple in 2022.

The group, called the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha or BAPS, is known for the Akshardham temple in Delhi. It runs temples across the world and is headquartered in Ahmedabad. While women are part of the organisation, it is known for strict rules for its celibate monks and segregation between men and women.

In written responses to The Hindu, BAPS denied having made the requests. “We want to be unequivocally clear: this coordination was undertaken purely as a matter of operational courtesy and logistics to ensure a smooth visit for a large group without inconveniencing the Tower’s employees or the public,” BAPS, France, said, pointing out that the delegation had more than 100 members. “It was never, at any point, intended as a request rooted in gender, and any suggestion to the contrary does not reflect the spirit or values of our fellowship or the delegation,” it added, insisting that BAPS did not know about the denial of access to anyone. 

Women staff allegedly sidelined during BAPS’ Eiffel Tower visit; Paris probes claims
Women staff allegedly sidelined during BAPS’ Eiffel Tower visit; Paris probes claims
| Video Credit:
The Hindu

However, the women employees had said earlier that they were made to feel “invisible”. French right-wing and centrist opposition leaders criticised the Macron government for the incident and demanded an explanation.

“In France, we do not ask women to erase themselves. No dogma, no religion is above the laws of the Republic,” France’s Equality Minister Aurore Berge said in response. Several French commentators questioned the reasons behind the group’s influence, pointing to the BAPS temple in the U.S. that faced legal cases after the Federal Bureau of investigation accused the group of labour code violations.

On Monday, the Mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Gregoire, ordered an inquiry into the incident, while the President of the operator SETE (Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel) Ariel Weil issued an apology.

“I understand the emotion of the Eiffel Tower staff: no motive of a religious order could justify a distinction based on gender or any other discriminatory consideration in welcoming the public,” Mr. Weil said in a social media post.

(With inputs from Sriram Lakshman in London)

Will the Eiffel Tower row strain India-France ties? | Above the Fold | 8 Sept 2026
Will the Eiffel Tower row strain India-France ties? | Above the Fold | 8 Sept 2026
| Video Credit:
The Hindu