New Delhi, October 23, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
BAPS monk Brahmavihari Swami has described the controversy over the alleged sidelining of women employees during a Hindu organisation’s visit to the Eiffel Tower in Paris as a “miscommunication”, saying he does not blame the monument’s management for the incident.
Speaking at the NDTV World Summit during a session titled Beyond Intelligence: AI, Faith and the Meaning of Being Human, Brahmavihari Swami said an investigation found no explicit request from the BAPS delegation to exclude women employees from the entire procession.
“It was a miscommunication on the part of the Eiffel Tower. I do not blame them as well,” he said.
The controversy followed the delegation’s private visit to the Eiffel Tower on September 5, when female employees were reportedly removed from their duties or kept out of sight. The episode triggered a staff walkout, resulted in the monument’s closure for a day and sparked criticism in France, where secularism and gender equality are central public values.
An investigation by the General Inspectorate of the City of Paris reportedly found no written evidence that the delegation had explicitly requested the exclusion of women from the entire procession. French newspaper Le Parisien reported that the inquiry identified communication failures and what it described as a “collective dysfunction”.
Addressing the broader context, Brahmavihari Swami said BAPS had engaged with French authorities for nearly a decade before securing permission to build a temple in the country. He also referred to the organisation’s participation in a cultural procession on the River Seine involving around 5,500 people aboard 11 boats.
The monk said the Eiffel Tower management had welcomed the delegation, which visited during normal opening hours to avoid inconveniencing other visitors.
He also clarified that the monastic practice of brahmacharya, or celibacy, was a personal spiritual discipline rather than a rejection of women or a justification for discrimination.
“As monks, we observe our spiritual disciplines, which we observe but never enforce upon anybody,” he said.
Stressing that human life takes precedence over religious rules, he added that monks must set aside their restrictions to help anyone in danger.
“If the life of a woman is in danger, all the monks have to give up their laws and help the lady first. Life is the most sacred,” he said.
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