India distances itself from Eiffel Tower row during BAPS delegation visit, says it’s a matter between two entities

India has distanced itself from the controversy over the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam (BAPS) delegation’s visit to the Eiffel Tower, with the ministry of external affairs saying on Thursday that it was an issue between two organisations and did not offer further comments.

Addressing a media briefing in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government was aware of reports surrounding the visit of a delegation from the BAPS organisation to Paris.

Jaiswal said a temple associated with BAPS had recently been inaugurated in the Paris region, and described the specific matter concerning the Eiffel Tower as an issue between two organisations and declined further comments.

The Eiffel Tower was closed for a day on Monday when employees went on strike over allegations that female staff members had been “moved away” during a visit by a Hindu religious group.

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Diane Davoine, a union representative in France, said female employees had been “moved away from their workstations as the delegation passed by”. Employees condemned what they described as workplace instructions that resulted in female staff being sidelined because of their gender.

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said the anger expressed by Eiffel Tower employees was legitimate and described the reported conditions as unacceptable.

Following the backlash, the BAPS Hindu temple in Paris has apologised over the incident and said it took the concerns raised “very seriously”. It said the visit had been organised in coordination with Eiffel Tower teams at the beginning of normal opening hours to minimise disruption to other visitors.

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Replying to a question on India-China border issues, Jaiswal shared details of recent military engagements along the LAC. He said meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) had been held in Beijing and New Delhi following agreements reached between the two countries’ Special Representatives in August 2025 and August 2026.

“The first senior military commander-level flag meeting following those developments was held on September 6 at Vacha, on the Indian side in Arunachal Pradesh, followed by another meeting on September 7 at Damai on the Chinese side,” he said.

Referring to the issue of Indians involved in the Russia-Ukraine war, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We have around two dozen people who still continue to be in the Russian army, and we have taken up this matter with the Russian government and hope to have them released at the earliest.”