Aug 28, Kathmandu - A photograph showing Nepalese officials and Indian guests enjoying a dinner at a five-star hotel in Kathmandu has sparked intense criticism and raised questions about the sensitivity of government and ruling party leaders amid catastrophic floods that have caused extensive human suffering.

While hundreds have lost their lives, many remain missing, and countless families have been displaced due to floods and landslides along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems, the image emerged at a time when rescue and relief efforts were actively underway in affected areas.

The photograph, shared on social media by Indian MP and foreign affairs expert Dr. Shashi Tharoor on Friday, shows Nepal’s Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle, Rastriya Swatantra Party MP Bidhusi Rana, and other Nepalese and Indian guests attending the dinner.

Critics argue that the timing of the photograph’s publication exacerbates public outrage, as the nation was grappling with a major crisis, with state resources and personnel deployed for rescue operations and the search for missing persons. The image has prompted widespread debate about the appropriateness of such gatherings during a national tragedy.