Eiffel Tower in Paris was closed to visitors Monday after staff suddenly went on strike, alleging that female employees were moved from their stations during a visit by a delegation from a Gujarat-based Hindu religious group.A 100-strong delegation linked to Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) had visited Eiffel Tower ahead of Festival of Cultures, marking the consecration of a Swaminarayan Temple in Paris over the weekend.PTI quoted workers’ union representative Diane Davoine as saying women members of the staff were asked to leave their stations as the delegation arrived at the tourism landmark. Confederation Generale du Travail, a national forum of trade unions, alleged that in some cases, women employees were temporarily replaced by male colleagues and told to avoid particular areas till the religious delegation left.The operating company, Societe d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), said the tower reopened as usual on Tuesday, acknowledging that a BAPS delegation had requested “limited interactions with women” and that the condition “should not have been accepted”.BAPS issued a detailed statement insisting the arrangements were never gender-based. It said the visit was coordinated in advance purely for logistical reasons. “Given the size of the group, this visit was coordinated in advance with the Eiffel Tower’s management team and was scheduled at the start of normal operating hours specifically to minimise any disruption to staff, other visitors, and the site’s regular functioning.
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” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the matter was purely between the entities concerned.BAPS regretted any inconvenience caused to employees by the arrangements. “We take seriously the concerns expressed by the Eiffel Tower’s employees, and we sincerely regret any inconvenience or discomfort caused to them as a result of the arrangements made for our group’s visit.”Paris mayor Emmanuel Gregoire called the employees’ anger legitimate. National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet said women in France fully occupy public spaces and cannot be told to make themselves invisible. Gender equality minister Aurore Berge called the episode unacceptable, saying no religion is above the Republic’s laws. Former PM Gabriel Attal backed Tower’s staff, saying no culture or belief can dictate a woman’s place.
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