BAPS | ‘Sacred’ demands

The article discusses a controversy involving the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) sect, which led to the closure of the Eiffel Tower due to protests against gender segregation. It highlights BAPS's strict gender norms and delves into past controversies, including a 2021 lawsuit alleging forced labor and exploitation of Indian workers (specifically from Scheduled Castes) in the US under R-1 religious worker visas. The article also mentions BAPS's historical resistance to the Bombay Harijan Temple Entry Act, 1947, and a Supreme Court judgment that ruled against its claim of being distinct from Hinduism to avoid the legislation. The incident coincided with the inauguration of a BAPS temple in France, attended by India's Ambassador and virtually by PM Modi, raising questions about the Prime Minister's public platforming of a sect with such controversies and its projection as part of India's cultural diplomacy.