The Eiffel Tower was temporarily closed on Monday after employees staged a protest over allegations that female staff were asked to move away from the area during a private visit by a Hindu religious delegation. The incident, which took place during a visit by around 100 people linked to BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha) on Saturday, has sparked anger among staff and drawn criticism from senior French politicians.

According to union representatives, female employees were told to leave areas where they were working as members of the delegation passed through, allowing male employees to take their places.

“As the delegation passed through, women were asked to leave their workstations so that men could take their places,” Diane Davoine, a union representative, told news agency Reuters. The delegation was in France for celebrations linked to the inauguration of a Hindu temple in the Paris suburbs.

Davoine said tensions among staff grew over the weekend, eventually prompting employees to hold a meeting on Monday.