Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Tuesday criticised the “removal” of female staff at the Eiffel Tower during a private BAPS delegation visit, asserting that it was not “how India thinks.”
In her post, Chaturvedi said, “The entire Paris Eiffel Tower embarrassment of asking women staffers to be kept away due to BAPS spiritual leaders visit and they wanting it that way due to their practice and belief isn’t the reflection of how India thinks- in policy or in constitution. BAPS later extended an apology for the incident. She further added, “There can be no discrimination in access or ability to fulfil one’s job responsibilities on basis of gender. The Eiffel Tower was shut after staff members walked out over the removal of women colleagues during a visit by the BAPS delegation. “Some were asked to leave their posts and withdraw to other areas. In some posts, they were replaced by men. And all female employees were instructed not to go through or cross certain areas while the delegation was present,” she added. They reportedly discussed the issue with the management to “ensure that women are never treated this way at the company again. “It is clearly not an acceptable practice. “To our knowledge, at no time was access to the Eiffel Tower denied to anyone. Nevertheless, we wish to offer our sincere apologies to anyone who may have been hurt or inconvenienced by this situation.
Chaturvedi in a post on X said there must be no discrimination against someone fulfilling their job duties on the basis of their gender While asking BAPS to keep these practices to themselves. The Sena (UBT) leader said that if this was a BAPS practise followed in “their religious community, sect and societies”, these “must keep it restricted to those confined areas. “…Please don’t expect the world to follow the diktat,” Chaturvedi added. “During the visit of this delegation, women were asked to leave their places of work in order to place men there,” staff union representative Diane Davoine told Reuters news agency. Davoine further told Reuters that the instruction did not sit well with the staff, especially with the women “who felt humiliated. Davoine said tensions had “mounted over the weekend”, with staff members meeting on Monday. The company operating the monument, Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), stated that the BAPS delegation had asked to “limit interactions with women”, while adding that this should not have been accepted. I restate the Eiffel Tower’s commitment to republican values and to the equality of men and women,” SETE president Ariel Weil told AFP. BAPS offered its “sincere apologies” following the incident. In a post on X, the BAPS Hindu temple in Paris said its visit had been coordinated in advance with Eiffel Tower teams and took place during the monument’s opening hours. We are deeply committed to the universal values of mutual respect and service to others,” BAPS said. “We respect the concerns raised and take them very seriously,” their statement added.
The row erupted after the staff at the iconic French monument went on strike when they were asked to leave during a visit by members of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha spiritual movement on Monday. The monument reopened on Tuesday.
