French politicians have rallied against the exclusionary practices of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) after a dispute at the Eiffel Tower overshadowed earlier efforts to scrutinize the group’s activities. The controversy erupted on Monday when the iconic Paris landmark closed due to a staff strike, triggered by reports that female employees were barred from participating in a private tour for a BAPS delegation.
The incident brought sudden media attention to BAPS and its massive new temple in Bussy-Saint-Georges, an eastern suburb of Paris. This surge in coverage followed a public meeting held the previous Saturday by the Indian Alliance Paris (IAP), which sought to educate the press and the public about the sect and the global spread of Hindu nationalism under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Despite the IAP’s efforts, the event received little press attention until the Eiffel Tower controversy forced the issue into the spotlight.
“We tried to highlight this issue. We tried to tell them that these people are very conservative and they are very misogynistic. But it didn’t really come into the spotlight,” said Joy Banerjee, secretary of the IAP. “Suddenly, the mask was dropped on Monday because of the strike.”
Upon reopening on Tuesday, BAPS issued a statement apologizing for any inconvenience but denying that access had been formally denied to anyone. The news cycle, however, had already catalyzed a unified response from across the French political spectrum ahead of the 2027 elections. Socialist Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire announced an investigation, while Valérie Pécresse of the conservative Les Républicains expressed her shock. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen also weighed in, stating unequivocally that France would never accept the limitation of women’s presence in public spaces.
The incident has highlighted a deep divide within the Indian diaspora. While some community members celebrated the political backlash against BAPS, others, including the IAP, warned against the potential for racism. In a post on X, the IAP cautioned that the story must not be used to fuel anti-immigrant sentiment, emphasizing that BAPS does not represent all Hindus or all of India.
BAPS, founded in 1907 in Gujarat, has expanded into a global network managing over 1,300 temples. The Paris temple, inaugurated with a video message from Modi, is described as the largest traditional-style temple in Europe. Critics argue that the sect has become a vehicle for Hindutva ideology, closely linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the ruling BJP party. Sunita Viswanath, co-founder of Hindus for Human Rights, noted that BAPS temples have become symbols of Indian government soft power, often featured in photo-ops during Modi’s international tours.
The Paris controversy mirrors past legal battles in the United States. In 2021, an FBI raid on a BAPS construction site in New Jersey led to lawsuits alleging the forced labor of Dalit workers and the weaponization of the caste system. Although the US Department of Justice closed the case in September 2025, critics argue that such controversies are often overlooked by Western governments eager to maintain strategic partnerships with India.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal declined to comment on the Eiffel Tower incident, describing it as a matter between the entities involved, while noting that Modi’s virtual inauguration was a standard diplomatic gesture. Meanwhile, BAPS Supreme Leader Mohan Bhagwat continued international engagements, visiting temples in London and addressing large gatherings in the US and Canada shortly after the Paris unrest.
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