New Delhi: The world-famous Eiffel Tower was closed to the public on Monday after a delegation of Hindu organisation BAPS, based in India, went on strike, alleging that female staff were being sidelined and discriminated against. However, BAPS has clarified that we did not deny entry to anyone.
The incident took place during the visit of a BAPS (Bochasanavasi Akshara Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha) delegation of around 100 people. When the BAPS delegation passed by, female employees were moved away from their workplaces. There have been allegations that male employees were deployed instead of female staff at some places.
What the Eiffel Tower operating company said:
SETE, the company that manages the Eiffel Tower, said that the Hindu delegation had requested that their visit be organised in a way that limited the number of women as much as possible. The company also said that we should not have accepted these conditions. It said that it was against its policies and gender equality. The Eiffel Tower has made it clear that it respects gender equality and French laws.
BAPS apology:
As the controversy intensified, the Paris-based BAPS organization expressed deep regret for the incident and apologized. “The visit was organized in collaboration with the Eiffel Tower team in the early hours of the morning to avoid disturbing other tourists. We had no intention of denying anyone access. However, we apologize if anyone was hurt. We are committed to the universal values of mutual respect and service,” BAPS clarified. BAPS has more than 1,300 temples globally and inaugurated its first large temple in France near Paris on Sunday.
French politicians outraged:
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire expressed his displeasure over the incident, saying, “The workers’ outrage is justified. In France, equality between women and men is a priority. Such conditions cannot be tolerated. An immediate investigation will be ordered into this incident.”
National Assembly President Yale Brown-Pivet also expressed her outrage, saying, “I completely reject the idea of pushing aside the women of our country for the demands of foreign visitors. In France, women have complete freedom in public spaces.”