Eiffel Tower chief to step down over removal of women staff during Hindu group's visit

The operating company that runs the Eiffel Tower said Tuesday its chief would step down at the end of this year in the wake of a controversy over the removal of women staff during a visit by a Hindu religious group.

Patrick Branco Ruivo, who has been in charge of the Paris landmark since 2018, would leave his job at the end of the year after an internal probe revealed that "operational flaws and shortcomings" in organising the visit led to the "unacceptable" removal of women staff, the company SETE said in a statement.

Staff at the iconic 330-metre (1,083-foot) tower staged a walkout on September 8 in protests at management's decision days earlier to sideline female workers during a visit by members of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha.

The group, known as BAPS, is a worldwide religious and civic organisation within the Swaminarayan sect, a conservative branch of Hinduism, with ties to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It had been holding celebrations to mark the inauguration of a traditional Hindu stone temple near the French capital.

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The incident sparked outrage in France, prompting politicians of all stripes to denounce an attack on fundamental liberties, and attracting scrutiny of BAPS's activities.

In a statement after the incident, the Hindu group offered "sincere apologies to anyone who may have been hurt or inconvenienced by this situation".

Ariel Weil, chair of SETE, said Tuesday she had requested measures and training programmes promoting gender equality to be implemented. 

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)