Workers at the Eiffel Tower say female staff were told to step aside during a visit by a Hindu religious group a claim the tower's operator has admitted was true.4 min readSep 8, 2026 09:01 AM IST First published on: Sep 8, 2026 at 08:51 AM IST ShareWhatsapptwitterFacebookHindu group's Eiffel Tower visit sparks row over female staff being sidelined. (Photo: X/@franceinfo)The Eiffel Tower closed its doors on Monday after staff walked out in protest, saying female workers had been moved out of the way during the visit of a Hindu religious delegation, the BBC reported, citing workers and management.Around 100 people linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) group visited the Paris landmark on Saturday. Staff union representative Diane Davoine said women were told to move as the group arrived.“During the visit of this delegation, women were asked to leave their places of work in order to place men there,” she told Reuters. She said the incident left the staff humiliated.“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 said.She added that anger built up over the weekend before staff called a meeting on Monday morning. “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.”Story continues below this adOperator admits the request was acceptedSociété d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), the company that runs the tower, confirmed to AFP that the delegation had asked for the visit to be arranged to limit “interactions with women.” The firm said the request “should not have been accepted,” adding that it did not match “SETE’s values, nor with the principles of equality between men and women.”SETE president Ariel Weil said the situation could not be defended. “It is clearly not an acceptable practice,” he said, restating “the Eiffel Tower’s commitment to republican values and to the equality of men and women.”BAPS respondsBAPS said its visit had been planned with the Eiffel Tower’s own team, timed at the start of normal opening hours to avoid disturbing other visitors. In a statement on X, the group apologised “for any pain or inconvenience caused,” and said it holds to “the universal values of mutual respect and service.”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, 2026BAPS describes itself as a Hindu spiritual and volunteer group with temples in various cities, including London, Los Angeles, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sydney, among others. It opened its first major temple in France, in a Paris suburb, on Sunday.Most Read1Green card alert for Indians: US says EB-1 category may run out before Sept 302Young, charismatic, far-right: Meet Ulrich Siegmund, the man behind AfD’s Germany win and what it means3‘Load off my shoulders’: US sailors chase ‘simple stuff’ in Thailand’s Pattaya after 286 days at sea4Video showed mud wipe out key Kailash Mansarovar Yatra gateway in Tibet. 2 weeks later, this is the scene5Indian woman’s SOS from Moscow: Husband detained, pressured to join Russian army6‘Shameful, nasty’: Singapore minister slams racist comments on Indians, police step inPolitical reactionParis Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said an investigation would be launched into what happened. “I am taking note of the anger expressed by the employees of the Eiffel Tower, and I want to tell them that their discontent is legitimate,” he wrote on X, adding that equality between men and women “must be applied everywhere, for everyone.”Story continues below this adThe reaction spread beyond city hall. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said: “In France, we will never accept that the presence of women be ‘limited’.” Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who plans to run for President next year, said: “No culture, no belief, no worship, nothing nor anyone can come to dictate to women their place.”Yael Braun-Pivet, president of the National Assembly, added her own warning. “I refuse to allow women to be compelled to step aside in order to meet the demands of foreign visitors,” she said.AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementLive BlogWorld News Today Live Updates: Iran says it plans new Gulf ‘exclusion zone’, threatens US with new missiles24 minutes agoDelhi building collapse Live Updates: ‘Not only building owners, MCD and DU also responsible’, says Delhi High Court12 hours agoIndia news Live Updates, 7 September 2026: Around 380 middlemen arrested in Assam says CM Sarma13 hours agoBigg Boss 20 Contestants, Premiere Episode LIVE Updates: Jay Bhanushali sends love to Mahhi Vij, says ‘the don is in the house’16 hours agoDelhi Building Collapse Live News: Police book owner, 5 dead; rescue operation underway1 day agoAdvertisement