The head of the company that runs the Eiffel Tower, one of Paris's most visited landmarks, will step down at the end of the year after female employees were removed from their posts during a visit by a Hindu religious group. Patrick Branco Ruivo, director general since 2018, will leave after an internal investigation found "operational flaws and shortcomings" in organising the visit, the operating company SETE said in a statement on Tuesday. It called the removal of the women "unacceptable".

The visit took place in early September, when a delegation of around 100 people linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) toured the tower, reportedly including its third level. BAPS is a worldwide religious and civic organisation within the Swaminarayan sect, a conservative branch of Hinduism with origins in the 18th century. It strictly separates men and women, including in temple activities and building entrances, and has ties to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The group was in France for celebrations marking the inauguration of a traditional Hindu stone temple near Paris.

SETE said the delegation had asked for the visit to be arranged so as to limit "interactions with women", and that such conditions "should not have been accepted". A union representative said women were asked to leave their workplaces and felt "humiliated". Staff said female employees, including some from subcontractors, were told not to enter or cross certain areas while the delegation was present. According to Le Parisien, they were told to make themselves "invisible". In a letter to staff seen by Le Monde, Ruivo said he had not ordered the women to be sent away, but acknowledged they were absent from the visit, said he regretted this and took responsibility.

The reaction was swift. Staff went on strike on 7 September, closing the tower for a day. Politicians across the spectrum condemned the decision. National Assembly president Yaël Braun-Pivet said she refused to let women be made to step aside to meet the demands of foreign visitors. Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire, a Socialist, called the decision "absurd, unjust and unacceptable" and ordered two separate investigations. BAPS offered "sincere apologies to anyone who may have been hurt or inconvenienced". France 24 reported that the row united French politicians but divided the Indian diaspora.

SETE chair Ariel Weil said she had requested gender-equality measures and training programmes, adding that the coming months would allow the company to prepare for a leadership transition. The episode has drawn attention to how public institutions in France, where gender equality and secular public services are widely seen as fundamental principles, respond to requests from religious groups.