Eiffel Tower Shuts Down Amidst Controversy
Female employees were made ‘invisible’ for Hindu group visit
Synopsis
On Monday, September 7, 2026, the Eiffel Tower shut down after staff allegedly reported that the female workers were asked to leave the premises due to a visit from a Hindu group. The visit, which was for a delegation from the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) spiritual movement, has now sparked a row.
Who Are the BAPS?
BAPS was established over a hundred years ago in Modi’s home state of Gujarat and describes itself as a socio-spiritual Hindu organization. Its monks follow strict rules of celibacy, while followers are expected to adhere to a set of moral disciplines.
The organization has built temples around the world, including in Atlanta, Chicago, London, Sydney and Nairobi. In 2024, Modi inaugurated its 27-acre temple in Abu Dhabi, one of the largest Hindu temples in the Middle East.
The BAPS delegation was in Paris to inaugurate a Hindu temple, an event Modi addressed virtually. In the past, the Indian leader has referred to one of the group’s former heads as a father figure.
The group’s visit to France, however, has drawn more controversy than celebration.
The Controversy
BAPS is known to strictly separate men and women in temple activities and at building entrances.
The female employees were asked to leave their workstations or stay out of sight during the visit by the BAPS. In a statement, the company that runs the Eiffel Tower said that BAPS had asked for interactions to be “limited” during the visit, a request that it shouldn’t have accepted in the very first place.
On being asked to leave the workplace, women felt “humiliated,” staff union representative Diane Davoine said.
Reaction from the President
Ariel Weil, who is the president of the company that runs the Eiffel Tower, blamed its managers for being "a bit overzealous" in accepting the request without considering whether it was "inappropriate" and humiliating for the female employees.
On Tuesday, September 8, 2026, Weil, who is also mayor of Paris Centre, said that the incident was "totally shocking and unacceptable".
Weil further said that an internal investigation will be carried out to determine who was responsible for putting the conditions in place and ensure it "never happens again".
Davoine said, "Tensions mounted over the weekend, so (on Monday 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."
Société d'Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), which runs the Eiffel Tower, had previously said the conditions imposed on female staff did not align with its values "nor with the principles of equality between men and women".
Apology from the BAPS
In a post on X on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, BAPS apologized, saying “to anyone who may have been hurt or inconvenienced by this situation.” The statement didn’t address claims that female employees had been sidelined.
It said, “To our knowledge, at no time was access to the Eiffel Tower denied to anyone”.
It further went on to add, “Given the size of our delegation, the visit was organized in coordination with the Eiffel Tower teams, at the start of normal opening hours.”