09-09-2026
French authorities have opened an investigation after female employees at Paris’s Eiffel Tower were reportedly removed from their work positions during a private visit by approximately 100 people associated with the BAPS Hindu religious organization. According to Eiffel Tower staff union representative Diane Davoine, women were asked to leave their workplaces so that male employees could take their places. She said the incident humiliated staff and triggered tensions that culminated in a strike and the tower’s closure on Monday.
The Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel, which operates the monument, said the BAPS delegation had requested limited interaction with women. The company acknowledged that such conditions should not have been accepted and said management had repeatedly apologized. BAPS sadhus, or monks, are bound by celibacy and are prohibited from contact with women, although that restriction does not apply to all BAPS followers.
Paris officials condemned the incident. Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire called the employees’ dissatisfaction legitimate and said equality between women and men must apply everywhere. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal similarly said that no culture, belief, or religion could dictate women’s place in France.
The article also examines BAPS’s close perceived relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party. It notes that a 2021 lawsuit accused the organization of trafficking low-paid workers from India to construct temples in the United States under poor conditions. Those allegations are presented as background and are not established as part of the Eiffel Tower incident.
BAPS apologized to anyone hurt or inconvenienced but did not clarify whether it had requested that female staff be removed. The controversy occurred shortly before Modi appeared by video at the inauguration of a new BAPS temple in Paris.
Entities: Eiffel Tower, Paris, France, Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), Diane Davoine, Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
09-09-2026
In a France 24 Spotlight segment hosted by François Picard, Anish Gawande examines the controversy surrounding the inauguration of a BAPS Hindu temple near Paris. The immediate dispute involves the alleged treatment of female staff at the Eiffel Tower, but Gawande argues that the issue reveals broader questions about religion, diplomacy, political influence, labor standards, and the role of the Indian diaspora in France.
A central concern is the uncertain status of the inauguration. Gawande questions whether the ceremony was a private religious event or something closer to a state-sanctioned occasion, noting the presence of senior Indian diplomatic representatives and remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi referring to India-France relations. He also points to Modi’s longstanding political association with BAPS, suggesting that the organization’s relationship with Indian political power deserves greater scrutiny.
The segment also raises concerns about allegations involving BAPS’s social, labor, and political practices in other countries. Gawande challenges the idea that the temple represents Hinduism in France as a whole, emphasizing the diversity of Hindu traditions and Indian communities in the country. He warns that the controversy could extend beyond BAPS and be used by far-right movements in debates about immigration, religion, and French national identity.
Ultimately, Gawande calls for institutional and political scrutiny of how the temple project was facilitated, how land was allocated, whether labor protections were observed, and where the boundary between religious organizations and state power lies. The segment presents the temple inauguration not as an isolated controversy but as a case study in the intersection of faith, diplomacy, politics, and labor rights.
Entities: Anish Gawande, François Picard, Narendra Modi, BAPS, BAPS temple near Paris • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: analyze
09-09-2026
The Eiffel Tower reopened on Tuesday after a one-day strike prompted by staff objections to management instructions during a Saturday visit by a Hindu delegation. Diane Davoine of the CGT union said employees were told that female workers should “not be in contact” with the delegation, which was visiting Paris to celebrate the inauguration of a traditional Hindu stone temple. The instructions were described by the union as exceptional and unacceptable, leading workers to close the landmark and protest what they viewed as gender-based restrictions.
The delegation was organized by Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, commonly known as BAPS, a global religious and civic organization within the Swaminarayan branch of Hinduism. BAPS said it had coordinated with Eiffel Tower management to minimize disruption for staff and visitors, but denied that its requests were based on gender. The organization said the situation did not reflect its values and reaffirmed its commitment to equality, mutual respect and service. It also issued an apology to anyone affected.
The company operating the tower did not immediately comment. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said he would launch an investigation, emphasizing that gender equality must apply at historic monuments and throughout the city. The 137-year-old Eiffel Tower attracts approximately seven million visitors annually and has previously been closed because of labor disputes, including a six-day strike in February 2024 over maintenance and wages. The incident has raised questions about workplace equality, accommodation of religious delegations and management responsibility at a major public landmark.
Entities: Eiffel Tower, Paris, France, Diane Davoine, CGT union, Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
