BAPS international spokesperson Brahmavihari Swami called the Eiffel Tower dispute over women employees being sidelined during a delegation visit a “miscommunication,” while a Paris inquiry summary described a sequence of operational decisions.
Speaking at the NDTV World Summit on Oct. 23, Swami said, “It was a miscommunication on the part of the Eiffel Tower.” He also said the monks observe their spiritual disciplines without imposing them on others.
A summary of the General Inspectorate of the City of Paris (IGVP) inquiry, as reported by AFP and Le Parisien, said the delegation raised a concern about contact between women and religious figures. It did not establish an explicit request to exclude women from the full route. The summary said men were assigned to some security posts, while some women employees were temporarily taken off their posts or replaced. It called the chain of actions a “collective dysfunction.”
Separately, the Tower’s operator, Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), faulted operational failures that led to female employees being sidelined, the Associated Press reported. SETE called the situation “unacceptable.”
BAPS’ Paris account said the delegation’s Sept. 5 visit, before the inauguration of a BAPS temple near Paris, had been coordinated with Tower staff. The account said it knew of no one denied access and apologized to anyone hurt or inconvenienced. AP reported that employees went on strike Sept. 7, closing the monument for a day; it reopened Sept. 8. Women employees were directly affected by the staffing changes, while visitors faced the one-day shutdown.
AP noted the Tower had also closed for six days in February 2024 during a strike over maintenance and wages. The outlet reported that SETE Chair Ariel Weil requested gender-equality measures and training, and that Director General Patrick Branco Ruivo would leave his post at the end of 2026.
