Paris mayor launching investigation after Hindu group visit limits female staff at Eiffel Tower

Paris mayor launching investigation after Hindu group visit limits female staff at Eiffel Tower

Group known as BAPS offered 'sincere apologies' to anyone hurt or inconvenienced by incident

The Eiffel Tower reopened on Tuesday, a day after one of the world's most-visited landmarks was closed by a strike to protest what a union official called "unacceptable" management instructions limiting the presence of women during a visit by a Hindu delegation on Saturday.

Diane Davoine of the CGT union told The Associated Press that anger grew among staff of the iconic, 330-metre tower over the weekend after management told employees that female workers should ″not be in contact″ with a visiting delegation from Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha.

The group, known as BAPS, is a worldwide religious and civic organization within the Swaminarayan sect, a branch of Hinduism. It has been holding celebrations to mark the inauguration of a traditional Hindu stone temple in the French capital.

In a written statement emailed to the AP on Tuesday, the group said it co-ordinated with the Eiffel Tower's management to minimize disruption to staff and visitors ahead of a visit by a delegation of some 100 people.

The co-ordination was "never, at any point, intended as a request rooted in gender, and any suggestion to the contrary does not reflect the spirit or values of our fellowship or the delegation," the statement said.

BAPS said it "remains firmly committed to the principles of equality, mutual respect, and service to all, regardless of gender, background, or belief — values that lie at the very heart of our tradition's teachings and community work worldwide."

In an earlier statement, the group offered "sincere apologies to anyone who may have been hurt or inconvenienced by this situation."

The company that operates the Eiffel Tower did not immediately comment. The 137-year-old tower is visited by some seven million people each year.

Davoine said the tower often hosts special delegations, including U.S. President Donald Trump, visiting royals and celebrities like Britney Spears, and staff are happy to accommodate. But she said the instructions on Saturday were exceptional and ″unacceptable.″

In a message on X, Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said he would launch an investigation.

"Gender equality will never stop at the foot of our historic monuments, or anywhere else in this city," he said. "It must apply everywhere and to everyone. I will ensure that it does — everywhere, without exception."

It was not the first time the tower has been closed by industrial action. It was shut for six days in February 2024 because of striking employees demanding better maintenance of the historic landmark and higher wages.