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🇮🇳 India /Culture & Society

Eiffel Tower closes after female staff allegedly sidelined during Hindu group’s visit

From Times of India · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • The Eiffel Tower closed after staff walked out over allegations that female employees were moved from their workstations during a BAPS Hindu delegation’s visit.
  • Operator SETE said the closure resulted from exceptional circumstances and acknowledged that the delegation had requested limited interaction with women.
  • BAPS apologised for any pain or inconvenience, while Paris officials condemned the reported arrangements and announced an investigation.

The Eiffel Tower shut to visitors after staff staged a walkout over allegations that female employees were moved away from their posts during a visit by a Hindu religious delegation.

moved away from their workstations as the delegation passed by

· Diane DavoineThe union representative described what she said happened to female Eiffel Tower employees during the visit.

The incident followed a Saturday visit by about 100 people linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, or BAPS. The group had inaugurated a new temple in France over the weekend. Diane Davoine, a union representative, told French television that female workers were “moved away from their workstations as the delegation passed by.”

Employees condemned what they called professional instructions that sidelined, replaced and made women invisible because of their sex. The Eiffel Tower operator, SETE, said the delegation had requested that the visit be organised to limit “interactions with women”, but acknowledged that “these conditions should not have been accepted.” It attributed Monday’s closure to “exceptional circumstances.”

these conditions should not have been accepted

· SETEThe Eiffel Tower operator acknowledged the delegation’s request to limit interactions with women but rejected the reported arrangement.

In a statement, the BAPS Hindu temple in Paris said it took the concerns seriously and apologised for “any pain or inconvenience caused.” The temple said the visit had been arranged with the Eiffel Tower team at the start of normal opening hours because of the delegation’s size. It said the arrangement was intended to avoid disrupting or inconveniencing others and that, to its knowledge, nobody had been prevented from entering the landmark.

any pain or inconvenience caused

· BAPS Hindu temple in ParisThe temple apologised after employees protested the treatment of female staff.

Paris mayor Emmanuel Gregoire called the reported conditions unacceptable and said an investigation would be launched. National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet also rejected the idea that women should step aside for foreign visitors, saying that welcoming others did not mean giving up France’s values. The dispute came a day after BAPS inaugurated its first major Hindu temple in France. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the inauguration and praised India-France ties.

I refuse to accept that women should be told to step aside to meet the demands of foreign visitors

· Yaël Braun-PivetThe National Assembly president condemned the reported arrangements.
About this summary

Originally published by Times of India in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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