BAPS Eiffel Tower Visit Sparks Controversy Over Women Restriction
A visit by BAPS male members to the Eiffel Tower has sparked controversy after the operating company restricted female staff. Both BAPS and SETE have issued apologies following the incident.
A significant controversy has emerged in Paris, France, following a recent visit by male members of the Bochasanwasi Akshapurushottam Swaminarayan (BAPS) organization to the iconic Eiffel Tower. Approximately one hundred male members belonging to the BAPS organization visited the famous Parisian landmark as part of their broader activities in the country.
Ahead of this visit, the operating company responsible for managing the Eiffel Tower, known as SETE, accommodated a specific request made by BAPS to limit contact with women. In order to fulfill this request, SETE kept its female employees away from the visiting group during the tour of the monument, a decision that subsequently triggered widespread public debate and scrutiny.
Following the backlash over the restriction of female staff, the tower's operating company acknowledged the error and issued a formal statement. In its statement, SETE addressed the decision directly, stating that the conditions should not have been accepted. Furthermore, in the wake of the growing controversy, both the BAPS organization and SETE issued official apologies.
The events in Paris unfolded against the backdrop of other significant developments involving the BAPS organization in France. Notably, the organization has consecrated its first traditional Hindu temple in Bussy-Saint-Georges, France, marking a notable cultural milestone for the community in the European nation.
During the grand consecration ceremony of the newly established Hindu temple in Bussy-Saint-Georges, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, participated virtually and delivered an address to the gathered devotees and guests. Prime Minister Modi notably remarked during his speech that the relationship between India and France has reached new heights.
