Eiffel Tower women controversy: BAPS says investigation found no request to exclude female staff

BAPS Hindu Mandir of Paris has denied asking the Eiffel Tower to hide, remove or exclude female employees during a Hindu religious delegation’s visit, saying an official investigation found no such request was made.

The clarification comes after the visit sparked controversy over reports that female employees had been sidelined or replaced while the delegation toured the landmark.

In a post on X, BAPS said it had consistently maintained that it never sought the exclusion of women from the visitor route. The organisation said the findings of the official investigation supported its position.

“From the outset, BAPS has consistently stated that it never asked for female employees to be hidden, removed or excluded,” the organisation said, adding that the investigation found no request from BAPS to exclude women along the route.

What happened at the Eiffel Tower?

According to the investigation findings cited in the matter, a series of miscommunications and operational failures led to women being removed from or replaced at their posts during the delegation’s visit.

The episode subsequently raised questions over who had instructed staff changes and whether the delegation had requested female employees to be kept away from the visitor route.

BAPS said it remained concerned about the employees affected by what happened during the visit and reiterated that it had not made a request to exclude them.

Eiffel Tower operator also rejects claim

The head of the Societe d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), Branco-Ruivo, also addressed the issue in a message to employees.

Branco-Ruivo said he had not instructed staff to remove or replace women during the delegation’s visit.

“I wish to reiterate that at no point did I give any instructions aimed at removing or replacing women within this delegation,” he said.

BAPS said it hoped the clarification following the investigation would provide a clearer understanding of what happened and allow those involved to move forward respectfully.

With IANS inputs