‘Degrading demand’: French leaders on removal of Eiffel Tower women staffers for Hindu group’s visit

French politicians across the spectrum on Tuesday said that the country’s values about gender equality were not negotiable, soon after women staffers at the Eiffel Tower were removed from their workstations during a visit by a Hindu religious group.

On Monday, the staff at the monument went on a brief strike to protest the removal of women colleagues during a visit by a delegation of the Hindu denomination Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha on Saturday.

The group consecrated its first major temple in France, located in the suburbs of Paris on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the ceremony virtually.

Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right political party National Rally, said on Tuesday that France will never accept restrictions on women’s presence.

Le Pen, who is viewed as one of the main contenders in next year’s presidential election, also demanded greater transparency about what happened on Monday.

En France, nous n’accepterons jamais que la présence des femmes soit « limitée ».

Toute la lumière doit été faite sur ce qui s’est passé lors de cette visite de la Tour Eiffel. https://t.co/rxdGKHjhfQ— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) September 7, 2026

Jordan Bardella, the president of the National Rally, said that the “degrading demand” allegedly made by BAPS should never have been met.

“In a free country like France, gender equality is respected, and no religious reason can...

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