Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, whose visit to the Eiffel Tower triggered a staff walkout and public criticism, said on Tuesday (8) that arrangements for the trip were made purely for logistical reasons and were "never, at any point" intended as a request based on gender.
In a statement, the organisation said its delegation of close to 100 members had coordinated the visit in advance with the Eiffel Tower's management, scheduling it at the start of normal operating hours "specifically to minimise any disruption to staff, other visitors, and the site's regular functioning."
"This coordination was undertaken out of consideration for the Tower's operations and logistics, and to ensure a smooth visit for a large group without inconveniencing the Tower's employees or the public," the statement said.
BAPS said it remained "firmly committed to the principles of equality, mutual respect, and service to all, regardless of gender, background, or belief," adding that these values were central to its tradition and its community work worldwide.
The organisation said that, to its knowledge, no visitor or member of staff had been denied access to the monument at any point during the visit. It said it took the concerns raised by Eiffel Tower employees seriously and regretted "any inconvenience or discomfort caused to them as a result of the arrangements made for our group's visit."
BAPS thanked the Eiffel Tower's management and staff for their cooperation and said it remained committed to "engaging constructively with all parties as this matter is reviewed." It said at no point had it asked for any female staff to be removed from their posts.
The statement follows a walkout by Eiffel Tower staff after the removal of female colleagues during the delegation's visit on Saturday (5). The operating company that runs the landmark, SETE, has acknowledged that the visit had been arranged so as to limit "interactions with women," and said "these conditions should not have been accepted."
Staff at the tower said female employees had been instructed to leave their posts, with some replaced by men, and were told not to cross certain areas while the delegation was present.
Although BAPS has denied that gender played any part in its request, the delegation was understood to have included sadhus, or renunciant monks, who observe a strict vow of lifelong celibacy known as nishkam.
The discipline, one of five vows governing the lives of BAPS sadhus, requires them to avoid physical contact, conversation, correspondence, or even intentional looking or thoughts involving women, with the stated aim of maintaining complete freedom from sexual desire.
The other four vows relate to renunciation of wealth, the giving up of family ties, freedom from food preferences, and humility. It is not clear whether these observances featured in the discussions between the delegation and Eiffel Tower management ahead of the visit.
The Eiffel Tower, which the operating company says receives nearly seven million visitors a year, was closed on Monday for a meeting between staff and management, and reopened on Tuesday morning.
Staff walkouts are not new to the landmark. Employees struck for six days in February 2024 over pay and investment in the site's upkeep, while a two-day strike in August 2018 was called over new visitor-management rules. The tower also saw intermittent closures in 2025 and 2026 amid broader nationwide strikes in France over austerity measures and public spending, unrelated to conditions at the monument itself.
