Investigation Clears Delegation of Explicit Exclusion Orders

Senior BAPS monk Brahmavihari Swami has addressed the international controversy surrounding a high-profile delegation visit to the Eiffel Tower earlier this year, attributing the incident to a "miscommunication" rather than intentional discrimination.

Speaking at a global leadership summit, the prominent spiritual leader maintained that an internal review and subsequent official investigations revealed no explicit written instructions from the Hindu organization to sideline female employees during the September 5 visit.

"It was a miscommunication on the part of the Eiffel Tower. I do not blame them as well," Brahmavihari Swami stated during the keynote session, clarifying that the delegation had intended a smooth visit without causing disruption to standard public access.

The controversy originally surfaced after reports alleged that female staff members were sidelined or kept out of sight during the private tour, triggering a swift internal staff walkout, temporary monument closures, and intense scrutiny across France regarding secularism and gender equality.

Official Findings and Leadership Fallout

An independent inquiry conducted by the General Inspectorate of the City of Paris corroborated that no direct orders were issued by the delegation to exclude women from the entire facility. However, the report highlighted significant operational failures and what investigators termed a "collective dysfunction" among the monument's management.

In the wake of the incident, the operating company of the Eiffel Tower, SETE, acknowledged that specific operational adjustments requested by the visiting delegation should not have been accommodated under French public norms. Chief Executive Patrick Branco Ruivo subsequently announced his departure by the end of the year following the fallout from the internal review.

Clarifying Spiritual Disciplines

Addressing broader concerns regarding the organization's adherence to traditional monastic practices, Brahmavihari Swami emphasized that the lifestyle of BAPS monks—including the observance of brahmacharya (celibacy)—represents a personal spiritual discipline rather than an imposition on others or a disregard for gender equality.

"As monks, we observe our spiritual disciplines, which we observe but never enforce upon anybody," he stated, reinforcing that the movement's foundational principles consistently prioritize human welfare above rigid institutional or religious rules.