Eiffel Tower row: ‘Never asked for removal of female staff’, says BAPS monk

A senior monk of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sect (BAPS) has refuted allegations that the organization requested the removal of female staff during a private visit to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The BAPS delegation, led by its chief Mahant Swami, was denied entry to the iconic landmark on September 5, triggering a one-day closure of the tower.

The investigation by the Parisian authorities, conducted by the General Inspectorate of the City of Paris (IGVP), found that BAPS had not made any explicit request for the exclusion of female staff. The monk, Brahmavihari Swami, clarified that the misunderstanding arose from a confusion about the spiritual disciplines of a 'sadhu,' emphasizing that BAPS has a clean chit in the matter.

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