The Eiffel Tower was shut on Monday after its staff went on strike alleging that female employees had been asked to step out of sight during a private visit by a Hindu religious delegation over the weekend. "As the ​delegation ⁠passed through, women were asked to leave their workstations so that men could take their places,” Diane Davoine, a union representative, told Reuters. The incident angered staff, drew criticism from French politicians, and prompted an investigation by city authorities. The Hindu religious group at the centre of the controversy – the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, or BAPS – apologised. They said their tour was coordinated with the tower’s team and that no one was denied access. "We understand the concerns raised and take them very seriously. Given the size of our delegation, the visit was organised in coordination with the Eiffel Tower team at the beginning of normal opening hours to minimise any inconvenience to other visitors," BAPS said in a statement. "To our knowledge, at no point was anyone denied access to the Eiffel Tower. Nevertheless, we sincerely apologise to anyone who may have been hurt or inconvenienced by this situation.” The incident occurred on Saturday during a visit by a delegation of nearly 100 people. Société d'Exploitation de la tour Eiffel or Sete, the monument’s operator, said the group had requested limited interaction with women as a condition for their visit. "These conditions should not have been accepted," it added. Since BAPS monks practice celibacy, they cannot “talk, touch or associate with women”. "The purpose was not to discriminate against or reject women,” the religious organisation said. “In fact, it is a moral discipline to maintain a sadhu’s character for personal spiritual upliftment.”What is BAPS? It is a religious and civic organisation within the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism, and operates worldwide. It claims to be “spiritual, volunteer-driven fellowship dedicated to improving society through individual growth by fostering the Hindu values of faith, service and global harmony”.According to its website, BAPS counts over a million followers, and runs 1,300 temples and 5,025 centres across India, North America, Africa, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. It was formed in 1905 by Shastri Yagnapurushdas. The international headquarters are in the India city of Ahmedabad and there are hubs in North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia.In 1995, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, then the group’s leader, inaugurated the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London. There are about 1.1m Hindus in the UK.He was considered the fifth spiritual successor of Swaminarayan, an ascetic who lived between 1781 and 1830 and was believed by his followers to be a manifestation of the Hindu god Krishna.Inaugurations by ModiThe group enjoys patronage by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist BJP party. On Sunday, Mr Modi addressed the gathering via video link as BAPS consecrated its first major temple in France. “Today, in the capital of France, Paris, a magnificent Swaminarayan temple is being inaugurated. This inauguration is a new era of cultural relations between India and France,” he said. Europe is home to 2.2m Hindus, according to a Pew report from 2025.The prime minister had also inaugurated a BAPS temple in the UAE in 2024, ahead of the general election in which he was elected for a third term. “I hope that the BAPS mandir will become a symbol of communal harmony and global unity for the whole world,” Mr Modi said, addressing a gathering that included UAE’s tolerance minister, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan. BAPS temples have received high-profile visitors such as then UK prime minister Rishi Sunak in 2024 and King Charles and Queen Camilla in October 2025. The royals were garlanded with flowers when they celebrated the 30th anniversary of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in West London, popularly known as the Neasden temple. Charles had previously visited the temple in 2009 with his wife when he was the Prince of Wales and made solo trips in 2001 and 1996. The American envoy to India, Sergio Gor, visited the BAPS Akshardham Mandir in Delhi in March, ahead of the Holi festival.Controversies surrounding BAPS templesIn 2021, a lawsuit claimed that as many as 200 Indian workers from marginalised communities had allegedly been lured to New Jersey in the US where they were forced to work 12 hours a day for as little as $1.20 (85p) an hour to help build a BAPS Hindu temple. BAPS denied the allegations and the Department of Justice closed the criminal investigation in September last year without any charges. The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court in Newark on behalf of almost 200 Indian workers who alleged “shocking violations” of the most basic laws in the country, including those prohibiting forced labour.The lawsuit accused BAPS and related entities of recruiting them in India and bringing them to the US where they were forced to work for more than 87 hours a week for $450 (£318) a month. In March last year, a BAPS temple in California was vandalised, drawing a sharp reaction from India’s foreign ministry. “We call upon the local law enforcement authorities to take stringent action against those responsible for these acts, and also ensure adequate security to places of worship,” ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. In September 2024, the BAPS temple in New York was vandalised with slogans targeting Mr Modi. The Suffolk county police said the graffiti contained “threatening and derogatory anti-Hindu messages”. The Indian consulate in the city condemned the incident and urged American authorities to take action against "the perpetrators of this heinous act". BAPS inaugurated two new temples in the US this year, one in Huntsville in May and the other in Baltimore in August. The US counts nearly 3m people who identify themselves as Hindu.