India on Tuesday responded to the row surrounding the Eiffel Tower, which was shut after the staff went on strike over the non-participation of female employees during a recent private visit by a Hindu
religious group.
The staff of the Eiffel Tower alleged that female employees were asked to leave certain workstations
, with some replaced by male colleagues, during the visit of a delegation linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).“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,” said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Tuesday.
The incident triggered strong criticism from France’s political establishment, with Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire calling it unacceptable that management had agreed to the delegation’s conditions. Equality Minister Aurore Berge said women in France should not be asked to “erase themselves” and stressed that no religion or doctrine was above the laws of the Republic.
What Happened At Eiffel Tower?
In a statement, Eiffel Tower staff condemned “professional instructions that led to female employees being sidelined, replaced and made invisible because of their sex” during the visit by the delegation.
“Instructions were given to female employees of the Eiffel Tower and to female employees of contractors to make themselves invisible in order to welcome this delegation,” the staff said in their statement, adding they were shocked to have been put in such a situation.
Diane Davoine, a union representative, said women working at the Eiffel Tower were asked to leave their workstations as members of the BAPS delegation moved through the site. In some locations, male employees reportedly replaced them.
“As the delegation passed through, women were asked to leave their workstations so that men could take their places,” she told Reuters, adding that female employees felt humiliated and angry.
The tower reopened hours after the walkout. The operating company of the tower, SETE, acknowledged that the Hindu delegation had requested the visit to be organised so as to limit “interactions with women” and said that “these conditions should not have been accepted”.
What Did BAPS Say?
BAPS, whose representatives were in France for events linked to the inauguration of a Hindu temple near Paris, said the visit to the Eiffel Tower was arranged at the start of opening hours to avoid disrupting others.
“To the best of our knowledge, at no point was anyone prevented from accessing the Eiffel Tower. Nevertheless, we sincerely apologise for any pain or inconvenience caused,” it said in a statement.
This came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated BAPS’s first major Hindu temple near Paris on Sunday.
