They will not attend, the government says, amid controversy over a religious group’s Eiffel Tower tour
The government faced questions on Tuesday (8 September 2026) over its links to a religious group whose allegedly “anti-women” demands caused Paris’s iconic Eiffel Tower to close for the day, sparking a major political row in France. Paris city officials have opened a formal investigation into the incident, and the Hindu group, known as BAPS, has denied that it called for “restricted interactions” with female 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 speech, Mr. Modi called the building a “new chapter” in Indo-French cultural ties. The Ministry of External Affairs said that the Prime Minister has often commented on such incidents and India was not involved in the Eiffel Tower dispute.
According to officials managing the Eiffel Tower, BAPS leaders, who were in Paris for the temple’s inauguration and planning a weekend visit to the monument, specifically requested that female employees be moved out of sight of the monks’ delegation, particularly their 93-year-old leader. The Eiffel Tower workers’ union, which called a one-day strike in solidarity with female colleagues, said women who had been replaced by men in some posts had been instructed not to cross certain areas while the delegation was present.
“We are aware of the opening of the BAPS Sanstha temple in the Paris area. As far as the question regarding the tower is concerned, it is purely a matter between the concerned entities (BAPS and the Eiffel Tower authorities),” ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in his first response to the dispute.
Asked in a follow-up by The Hindu whether the government had asked BAPS to explain its alleged demand to deny female employees access to parts of the Eiffel Tower or whether it was now distancing itself from the group, Mr Jaiswal said it was “common practice” for the Prime Minister to “express his best wishes” on such occasions and there would be no comment.
Earlier this year, Indian Ambassador to France Sanjeev Singla spoke at a ceremony for the temple. In a social media post on Tuesday, India’s ambassador to UNESCO Vishal Verma praised the BAPS group and said his wife attended the 2022 stone-laying ceremony of the “shilanyas” temple.
The group, called Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha or BAPS, is known for the Akshardham temple in Delhi. It runs temples all over the world and is based in Ahmedabad. While women are part of the organization, it is known for strict rules for its celibate monks and segregation between men and women.
In written responses to The Hind, BAPS denied making these demands. “We want to be unequivocally clear: this coordination was made purely for reasons of operational courtesy and logistics, to ensure a smooth visit for a large group without inconveniencing Tower staff or the public,” BAPS in France said, noting that the delegation had more than 100 members. “This was never intended to be a gender-based request and any suggestion to the contrary does not reflect the spirit or values of our community or delegation,” it added, insisting BAPS was unaware of anyone being denied access.
During the BAPS visit to the Eiffel Tower, women were reportedly sidelined; Paris is probing the claims
During the BAPS visit to the Eiffel Tower, women were reportedly sidelined; Paris probes claims | Video Credit: The Hindu
However, female employees have previously said they feel “invisible”. French right-wing and center-right opposition figures criticized Macron’s government over 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,” said French Equality Minister Aurore Berge in response. Several French commentators questioned the reasons for the group’s influence, pointing to the BAPS temple in the US, which faced legal cases after the Federal Bureau of Investigation accused the group of violating the labor code.
On Monday, Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire ordered an investigation into the incident, while the president of operator SETE (Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel) Ariel Weil apologized.
“I understand the emotions of the staff of the Eiffel Tower: no motive of religious order could justify discrimination on the basis of gender or any other discriminatory consideration in welcoming the public,” Mr Weil said in a post on social media.
(With inputs from Sriram Lakshman in London)
Will row of Eiffel Towers disrupt Indo-French relations? | Above the fold | September 8, 2026
Will row of Eiffel Towers disrupt Indo-French relations? | Above the fold | September 8, 2026 | Video Credit: The Hindu
Published – 8 Sep 2026 22:38 IST