An investigation was conducted after men replaced female employees at the Eiffel Tower during a religious visit.

On Saturday, a party of about 100 members of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) group paid a visit to the famous location in Paris. According to Diane Davoine, a staff union representative, “women were asked to leave their places of work” and felt “humiliated.” On Monday, the tower closed as employees went on strike to express their indignation. Men and women are tightly segregated in temple activities and building entrances by BAPS, a sect whose views date back to the 18th century.

The head of the organization that manages the Eiffel Tower, Ariel Weil, accused its managers of being “a bit overzealous” in granting the request without taking into account whether it was “inappropriate”.

Weil, the mayor of Paris Center, described the incident as “totally shocking and unacceptable” in an interview with French channel Franceinfo on Tuesday. According to Weil, an internal investigation will ascertain who was in charge of establishing the circumstances and guarantee that it “never happens again.” Female personnel were also “instructed not to go through or cross certain areas while the delegation was present” during Saturday’s visit, according to a statement released by the monument’s staff and cited by the AFP news agency.

“Tensions mounted over the weekend, so [on Monday morning], the employees decided to meet: first, to open a dialogue with management, and second, to ensure that women are never treated this way at the company again,” Davoine said.

The Eiffel Tower’s management company, Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), has previously stated that the terms placed on female employees did not align “nor with the principles of equality between men and women” with its values. On Sunday, BAPS dedicated its first significant temple in France, located in a suburb of Paris.

In a statement on X, BAPS said the trip was “arranged in conjunction with the Eiffel Tower team at the start of normal opening hours to avoid disrupting or inconveniencing others”. It apologised “for any pain or inconvenience caused”, adding “we believe in the universal values of mutual respect and service”. On its website, the group describes itself as a “spiritual, volunteer-driven fellowship dedicated to improving society” through Hindu values.

It has temples in major cities all over the world, such as Sydney, Los Angeles, and London. It is based on the teachings of Lord Swaminarayan, a celibate ascetic from the late 18th century who is considered by his devotees to be an incarnation of the Hindu god of preservation, Vishnu. BAPS claims that the segregation of men and women was implemented for the benefit of women, while detractors claim that keeping women out in the name of religious customs is discriminatory and that 18th-century views have no place in the modern world. The incident on Saturday has been denounced by French politicians.