The Eiffel Tower was closed on the 7th (local time) as workers went on strike to protest the exclusion of female employees from duties during a visit by a Hindu group, AFP reported.

In a statement released that day, the Eiffel Tower staff said they were shocked by the situation, stating that "female employees at the Eiffel Tower and subcontracting companies were instructed to keep a low profile to welcome the (Hindu) group."

They claimed that some female workers were ordered to move elsewhere, certain posts were replaced by male staff, and all female employees were instructed not to pass through specific zones while the group of visitors was at the tower.

The strike was triggered by a visit to the Eiffel Tower by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a Hindu denomination.

BAPS visited France to attend the inauguration of a Hindu temple in a Paris suburb and a cultural boat procession on the Seine River, and visited the Eiffel Tower on the 5th, according to Reuters.

SETE, the operator of the Eiffel Tower, acknowledged that female staff were excluded from duties during the BAPS visit and expressed regret.

SETE stated that the Hindu delegation had requested that the visit schedule be arranged in a way that limited contact with women, adding that "such conditions should not have been accepted."

"This does not align with SETE's values and the principle of gender equality," SETE added, stating that it would face the consequences.