Kathmandu: Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has come under fire from several quarters, including his own party colleagues, for making his birthday a flashy affair.

The prime minister yesterday travelled to his birthplace in Aathrai, Paanchthar, on a chartered helicopter, to mark his 69th birthday. His supporters followed him on three choppers. When Oli’s chopper landed on a dedicated helipad built in the front yard of the house where he was born, scores of his local supporters gathered, The Himalayan Times reported.

Oli then cut a birthday cake sporting Nepal’s map reportedly gifted to him by the owner of a big business house of Nepal.

Soon after the event was reported, people took to social media to criticise Oli for cutting a birthday cake sporting Nepal’s map, and for flouting the code of conduct issued by his own party last month.

The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) had on January 20 issued an 11-point code of conduct for party cadres and leaders, telling them to try to live a simple life and be economical during festivals. It states that NCP members should limit celebrations such as birthday and sacred-thread and rice-feeding ceremonies to their homes.

According to the code of conduct, if anybody is found violating the code, punitive action will be taken against them. It stipulates that the code was important for the party to deal with political and organisational problems the party was facing.

Oli was also condemned for cutting a cake with Nepal’s map, giving an impression of disintegrating the country.