‘Humiliated’: Eiffel Tower closes after row over Hindu group’s visit

In a statement, the local trade union condemned “workplace instructions that led to female employees being sidelined, replaced and rendered invisible on the basis of their gender”, according to French media.

“Some were asked to leave their posts and withdraw to other areas. In some posts, they were replaced by men. And all female employees were instructed not to go through or cross certain areas while the delegation was present,” according to the statement quoted by French media.

MEA responds to BAPS event

The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday responded to the BAPS event issue and stated, “We are aware of the opening of a temple by the BAPS Sanstha in the Paris area. As to the particular issue pertaining to the Tower, this is a matter purely between the entities concerned.”

VIDEO | Delhi: MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "So, there (Paris) we are aware of the opening of a BAPS (B-A-P-S) temple in the Paris area. As to the particular issue pertaining to the tower, this is a matter purely between the entities concerned…"

On a question about… pic.twitter.com/hwK05zgLVr

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 8, 2026

Union representative Diane Davoine said, “women were ⁠asked to leave their workstations so that men could take their places”.

“That absolutely does not go down well with the employees, with women obviously, who are all humiliated by what happened, by the way some were treated,” Davoine told Reuters.

“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.

Davoine added that management had since apologised to workers over the incident.

The Tower, which receives nearly seven million visitors a year, according to its website, was closed all day on Monday, France 24 reported.

‘We sincerely apologise’

BAPS said in a statement that the visit to the Eiffel Tower was arranged at the start of opening hours to avoid disrupting others, given the size of its delegation.

“We respect the concerns raised and take them very seriously. Due to the size of our delegation, the visit was arranged in conjunction with the Eiffel Tower team at the start of normal opening hours to avoid disrupting or inconveniencing others,” the group said.

Nous comprenons les préoccupations exprimées et les prenons très au sérieux.

Compte tenu de la taille de notre délégation, la visite a été organisée en coordination avec les équipes de la tour Eiffel, au début des horaires habituels d’ouverture, afin de limiter autant que… pic.twitter.com/gyiwzmh6Jv

— BAPS Mandir Swaminarayan Hindou de Paris (@BAPSParis) September 7, 2026

“To the best of our knowledge, at no point was anyone prevented access to the Eiffel Tower. Nevertheless, we sincerely apologise for any pain or inconvenience caused. We believe in the universal values of mutual respect and service,” it added.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a gathering via video conference during the inauguration of BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir in Paris.

‘Not in line with our values’

Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), the company that runs the Eiffel Tower, said the delegation had requested that the visit be organised in such a way as to limit “interactions with women” and acknowledged that “these conditions should not have been accepted”.

The conditions “were not in line with SETE’s values, nor with the principles of equality between men and women,” the company said, promising to accept the “consequences”.

“We are going to shed light on what happened, and we will draw the necessary conclusions,” SETE president Ariel Weil, who is also an elected official in Paris, told AFP.

‘We don’t ask women to erase themselves’

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire expressed support for the strike in a post on X, describing the exclusion of women workers as “unacceptable” and contrary to the “values that the Eiffel Tower stands for”.

Je prends connaissance du mouvement de colère des salarié·es de la tour Eiffel et je veux leur dire que leur mécontentement est légitime.

Il n’est pas acceptable que de telles conditions puissent être tolérées. Ce ne sont ni mes valeurs, ni celles que doit porter la tour Eiffel,… https://t.co/3srttJpxPo

— Emmanuel Grégoire (@egregoire) September 7, 2026

“I have taken note of the anger expressed by Eiffel Tower staff, and I want to tell them that their grievances are legitimate. Such conditions are unacceptable. These are neither my values nor the values the Eiffel Tower should embody—a place where everyone must be able to move about and act freely, without distinction between women and men,” Grégoire said.

“It is urgent that the full facts surrounding this protest be brought to light. Gender equality does not stop at the foot of our historic monuments, nor anywhere else in this city. It must apply everywhere, for everyone. I will ensure this happens, everywhere and without exception. An investigation will be launched immediately.”

French Equality Minister Aurore Bergé also posted on X, saying, “In France, we do not ask women to erase themselves”. “No dogma, no religion is above the laws of the Republic.”

En France, on ne demande pas aux femmes de s'effacer. Aucun dogme, aucune religion n'est supérieure aux lois de la République.

Si les faits rapportés à la Tour Eiffel sont confirmés, ils sont inacceptables.

En France, l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes n’est ni… https://t.co/UvaPrfpoEY

— Aurore Bergé (@auroreberge) September 7, 2026

Far-right French leader Marine Le Pen, an early frontrunner in next year’s presidential election, also weighed in, saying France would “never accept that women’s presence be ‘limited’.”

Former French prime minister Gabriel Attal, who is also running for the presidency, said, “In France, no culture, no belief, no religion, nothing and no one can come and dictate to women what their place should be”.