What is BAPS, the Hindu group whose demands led to Eiffel Tower closure?

What the report says

The Eiffel Tower briefly closed in Paris after staff walked out to protest the treatment of female workers during a private visit by BAPS, a global Hindu socio-spiritual organisation. According to Al Jazeera, the tower operator said the group had asked for arrangements that limited interactions with women, and staff unions condemned what they described as female employees being moved aside or made invisible during the visit. The tower has since reopened.

BAPS, formally known as Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, said in a statement on social media that, to its knowledge, no one had been denied access to the landmark. It nevertheless apologised to anyone affected or upset by the situation. The group said it runs temples, community programmes and service initiatives around the world, and Al Jazeera noted that it has a temple in Paris.

The dispute triggered political backlash in France, where officials and lawmakers stressed that gender equality rules apply in public spaces. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said an investigation should begin quickly. The episode mattered not only because it disrupted a major tourist site, but also because it revived scrutiny of BAPS’s profile and its relationship with India’s political establishment. As background, Al Jazeera said researchers have long pointed to the group’s close ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, although BAPS says it is apolitical.