Eiffel Tower dispute exposes tensions over BAPS and diaspora politics
A staff strike over reported restrictions on female workers during a private BAPS visit has prompted a promised investigation and warnings against politicisation and racism.
The Eiffel Tower reopened on Tuesday after staff walked out over the reported removal or sidelining of female workers during a private visit by a delegation from BAPS, a Hindu denomination. The precise circumstances, including who made the decision and why, have not been established.
BAPS apologised for any “pain or inconvenience” but said it was unaware that anyone had been denied access. Paris Socialist mayor Emmanuel Grégoire promised an investigation, while Île-de-France president Valérie Pécresse and far-right leader Marine Le Pen also criticised the reported treatment of women.
The dispute has intensified scrutiny of BAPS in France, where a large temple near Paris was inaugurated during a cultural festival running from 3 to 14 September. The inauguration included a virtual message from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described the temple as contributing to cultural relations between India and France.
France 24 reported that critics associate BAPS with conservative gender practices and India’s Hindu-nationalist environment, while noting that the organisation is not traditionally considered part of the RSS-linked Sangh Parivar. BAPS was founded in Gujarat in 1907 and has expanded into a global network of temples and centres.
The Indian Alliance Paris, which had organised a public meeting about BAPS before the strike, warned that the controversy should not become “fodder for more racism”. It said BAPS did not represent all Hindus or India, reflecting divisions within the Indian diaspora over Hindutva, political influence and the role of French authorities.
BAPS has also faced overseas scrutiny over allegations concerning labour conditions at temple construction sites in the United States. A US investigation was closed in 2025 without a stated cause. Those allegations, like broader claims about BAPS’s political links, remain distinct from the unresolved workplace dispute at the Eiffel Tower.
