New Delhi : The Eiffel Tower was temporarily closed after employees staged a protest over allegations that female staff were asked to move away from the area during a private visit by a Hindu religious delegation. The incident, which took place during a visit by around 100 people linked to BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha) on Saturday, has sparked anger among staff and drawn criticism from senior French politicians.
According to union representatives, female employees were told to leave areas where they were working as members of the delegation passed through, allowing male employees to take their places.
“As the delegation passed through, women were asked to leave their workstations so that men could take their places,” Diane Davoine, a union representative, told news agency Reuters. The delegation was in France for celebrations linked to the inauguration of a Hindu temple in the Paris suburbs.
Davoine said tensions among staff grew over the weekend, eventually prompting employees to hold a meeting on Monday.
“Tensions mounted over the weekend, so this morning, the employees decided to meet: first, to open a dialogue with management, and second, to ensure that women are never treated this way at the company again,” she said.
The Eiffel Tower’s opening was delayed as employees gathered for the meeting. Signs at the monument read: “The opening of the Eiffel Tower is delayed for operational reasons.”
Davoine said management had apologised to staff over the incident.
Meanwhile, BAPS said the visit had been coordinated with Eiffel Tower authorities to minimise disruption and ensure normal access for visitors.
In a statement posted on X, the temple said the large delegation’s visit had been scheduled in consultation with Eiffel Tower management at the start of regular opening hours to reduce inconvenience to the public.
Nous comprenons les proccupations exprimes et les prenons trs au srieux.
Compte tenu de la taille de notre dlgation, la visite a t organise en coordination avec les quipes de la tour Eiffel, au dbut des horaires habituels d’ouverture, afin de limiter autant que pic.twitter.com/gyiwzmh6Jv— BAPS Mandir Swaminarayan Hindou de Paris (@BAPSParis) September 7, 2026
The organisation said it was not aware of any instance in which female employees were asked to leave their workstations or visitors were denied entry to the monument during the visit.
However, it expressed regret over the matter, saying it sincerely apologised to anyone who may have felt hurt or inconvenienced by the situation.
The temple added that it remains committed to the principles of mutual respect and service to others, and that it takes the concerns raised over the incident seriously.(ANI)
Eiffel Tower closes amid row over women staff sidelined
