BAPS monk Brahmavihari Swami has characterised the controversy over the alleged exclusion of women employees during the Hindu organisation's private visit to the Eiffel Tower in Paris on 5 September 2025 as a 'miscommunication', adding that he does not hold the monument's management responsible for the episode.

What Brahmavihari Swami Said

Speaking at the NDTV World Summit in a session titled Beyond Intelligence: AI, Faith and the Meaning of Being Human, the monk said an internal investigation had found no explicit request from the BAPS delegation to keep women away from the entire procession. 'It was a miscommunication on the part of the Eiffel Tower. I do not blame them as well,' he said at the summit.

He also drew a clear distinction between personal monastic vows and institutional enforcement, saying the practice of brahmacharya, or celibacy, is a spiritual commitment that monks observe privately. 'As monks, we observe our spiritual disciplines, which we observe but never enforce upon anybody,' he said.

What the Paris Investigation Found

An inquiry by the General Inspectorate of the City of Paris reportedly found no written evidence that the Hindu delegation had explicitly requested the exclusion of women from the entire procession. According to French newspaper Le Parisien, the investigation identified communication failures and described the episode as a 'collective dysfunction' rather than a deliberate directive from the visiting group.

The controversy had erupted after female Eiffel Tower employees were reportedly removed from duties or kept out of sight during the BAPS delegation's visit, which took place during normal opening hours to avoid disruption to other visitors. The incident triggered a staff walkout, forced the Eiffel Tower to close for a day, and drew widespread criticism across France, where secularism and gender equality carry deep constitutional and cultural weight.

BAPS's Engagement with France

Brahmavihari Swami noted that BAPS had spent nearly a decade engaging with French authorities before receiving permission to build a temple in the country. He also referenced the organisation's participation in a cultural procession on the River Seine, which involved approximately 5,500 people aboard 11 boats — underscoring what he described as the organisation's long-standing and constructive relationship with France.

On Monks, Celibacy, and Human Life

Addressing broader questions about monastic discipline in public settings, Brahmavihari Swami emphasised that religious observance has its limits when human welfare is at stake. 'If the life of a woman is in danger, all the monks have to give up their laws and help the lady first. Life is the most sacred. You understand? That's the law,' he said, framing the remark as the overriding principle that governs monastic conduct in emergencies.

His remarks at the summit sought to reframe the episode as a procedural failure rather than a reflection of BAPS's institutional attitude toward women, even as the wider debate over religious accommodation in French public spaces is unlikely to subside quickly.