Eiffel Tower Row Over BAPS Visit Private Matter Between Entities: MEA

India’s external affairs ministry on Tuesday distanced itself from the row over the Eiffel Tower’s handling of a BAPS delegation visit. It said the matter was “between the entities concerned”. The tower had shut down for a day after staff allegations that women employees were asked to avoid certain areas during the visit. It reopened on Tuesday.

The dispute has pulled in India’s foreign ministry, the Eiffel Tower operator and the BAPS Hindu group. The core issue is whether women staff were pushed out of posts during the delegation’s visit and who was responsible for the decision.

MEA Explains Position

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “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.”

On a reporter’s query about Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking at the inauguration of the BAPS temple, Jaiswal said it was a “common practice” for the prime minister to convey his good wishes on such occasions. “It is a common practice for the Prime Minister to convey his good wishes on such occasions. In this case, it was done virtually. There is no cause for any comment in this regard,” he added.

How The Row Began

The controversy erupted after the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha spiritual movement visited the Eiffel Tower. During that visit, women staff were moved from some posts, staff union representative Diane Davoine told Reuters.

“During the visit of this delegation, women were asked to leave their places of work in order to place men there,” Davoine said. She said the female workers “felt humiliated”.

“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,” Davoine added.

After tensions over the weekend, staff began talks with management on Monday. Davoine said the dialogue was opened “to ensure that women are never treated this way at the company again.” The Eiffel Tower is operated by Société d'Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE).

Tower And BAPS Responses

SETE acknowledged that the delegation had asked to “limit interactions with women”. The company said such a request should not have been accepted. Ariel Weil, the SETE president, told AFP: “I restate the Eiffel Tower's commitment to republican values and to the equality of men and women.”

BAPS later responded on X. The BAPS Hindu temple in Paris said the visit had been coordinated in advance with Eiffel Tower teams during the monument’s opening hours.

“To our knowledge, at no time was access to the Eiffel Tower denied to anyone. Nevertheless, we wish to offer our sincere apologies to anyone who may have been hurt or inconvenienced by this situation. We are deeply committed to the universal values of mutual respect and service to others,” the BAPS statement said.