‘Matter purely between entities concerned’: MEA responds to Eiffel Tower row over BAPS visit
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has responded to the controversy surrounding reports that women employees at Paris’ Eiffel Tower were asked to move away from certain areas during a visit by a BAPS delegation. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the ministry was aware of the opening of a BAPS temple in the Paris area but described the issue at the tower as a matter between the organisations involved.
The comments came after a reported staff protest at the Eiffel Tower over instructions given to female employees during the visit by around 100 people associated with BAPS, or Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha. The monument had been closed for a day following the strike and reopened the next day.
MEA responds to Eiffel Tower controversy
Speaking at a media briefing in New Delhi, 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.”
The statement comes amid growing attention in France over claims that female Eiffel Tower staff were moved away from their regular positions while the BAPS delegation was visiting.
According to French reports, union representatives said some women were asked to leave their workstations and move to other areas, while some positions were temporarily filled by male employees. Staff also objected to instructions that female employees should not pass through or cross certain areas while the delegation was present.
What happened during the BAPS delegation’s visit?
The incident took place on Saturday, when around 100 people associated with BAPS visited the Eiffel Tower. The visit came shortly before the opening of the BAPS Hindu Mandir of Paris, described by the organisation as its first traditional Hindu temple in France.
The Eiffel Tower’s operating company, Societe d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, later acknowledged that the delegation had requested limited “interactions with women” and said that such “conditions should not have been accepted”.
The BAPS Hindu temple in Paris also apologised, saying it understood the concerns raised and was taking them “very seriously”. The organisation said the visit had been coordinated with Eiffel Tower teams and arranged at the start of normal opening hours to minimise disruption to other visitors.
“To our knowledge, at no time was access to the Eiffel Tower denied to anyone,” BAPS said, while offering “our sincere apologies to anyone who may have been hurt or inconvenienced by this situation”.
It also said it was “deeply committed to the universal values of mutual respect and service to others”.
French leaders condemn reported treatment of women
The controversy prompted criticism from senior French political figures, with the reported restrictions on female staff drawing particular concern.
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire described the reported conditions as unacceptable and said an investigation would be launched.
France’s National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet also said she would not accept women being asked to step aside to meet the demands of foreign visitors.
French Minister for Gender Equality and the Fight Against Discrimination Aurore Berge called the incident “unacceptable”, saying equality between women and men is a non-negotiable principle in France.
Former prime minister Gabriel Attal also criticised the incident, saying that no culture, belief or worship should determine women’s place in public spaces.
The BAPS delegation was in France for the opening of the new temple near Paris and had been visiting sites across the French capital.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI)
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