The Eiffel Tower in Paris reopened on Tuesday after staff staged a walkout over instructions that reportedly resulted in female employees being removed from certain positions during a visit by a Hindu religious delegation.

The tower’s operating company, Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), acknowledged that the delegation had requested arrangements aimed at limiting interactions with women during its visit on Saturday, saying such conditions should not have been accepted.

The landmark was closed to visitors on Monday as management met with staff following the incident. Normal operations resumed on Tuesday morning, with visitors returning through security checkpoints at the base of the tower.

The Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), the Hindu spiritual organisation behind the visit, apologised for any distress or inconvenience caused by the incident.

BAPS said the visit had been coordinated with the Eiffel Tower management because of the size of its delegation and to avoid disrupting other visitors. The organisation also stated that, to its knowledge, no one had been denied access to the monument.

However, Eiffel Tower employees condemned what they described as instructions that caused female staff members, including employees of contractors, to be sidelined during the delegation’s visit.

According to the workers, some women were instructed to leave their posts and move to other areas, while men replaced them at certain positions. Female employees were also reportedly told to avoid passing through specific areas while the delegation was present.

The staff described the situation as unacceptable and said they were shocked to have been placed in circumstances where women were effectively made invisible because of their sex.

The incident occurred shortly after BAPS opened its first major temple in France near Paris on Sunday.

The temple was inaugurated by BAPS spiritual leader Mahant Swami Maharaj, 93. The organisation says it operates more than 1,300 temples worldwide, with some having been inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The development drew criticism from French officials and political figures.

France’s Minister for Gender Equality, Aurore Bergé, expressed outrage over the incident, stressing that women should not be expected to remove themselves from public life.

Far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen also criticised the reported restrictions, saying France would not accept any attempt to limit women’s presence.

Centrist presidential contender Gabriel Attal similarly said no culture, religion or belief should dictate the place women occupy in France.

The Eiffel Tower, one of France’s most recognisable landmarks, receives nearly seven million visitors annually.