At least three people, including a government official and a media worker, have been sacked or asked to retire in the past two weeks after their online criticism of late leader Mao Zedongtriggered furious protests from Mao loyalists.

On Monday, Zuo Chunhe, a deputy director of the Shijiazhuang Bureau of Culture, Radio, Film, TV, Press and Publication in North China's Hebei Province, was fired for "posting wrong remarks on Sina Weibo" that were considered a "serious violation of political discipline."

Zuo had called Mao a "devil" and dubbed the annual commemoration of Mao's birthday "the world's largest cult activity" on his Weibo account, a Twitter-like social media outlet in China.

Pictures circulating online show Mao supporters protesting in front of the building of Zuo's bureau. Protesters were holding Mao portraits and banners that read, "Down with the anti-Mao traitor Zuo Chunhe."

Zuo was given a major administrative warning and was ordered to deeply reflect on his mistakes. His Weibo account has been deleted.

Mao's legacy remains a divisive issue in China. Mao's supporters often see China as becoming more capitalist and unequal with the reform and opening-up. Those who oppose him criticize Mao for the Cultural Revolution(1966-76) and welcome a more market-oriented economy.

Zuo's removal comes less than a week after Liu Yong, an employee of Luohe Television Station in Central China's Henan Province, was fired on January 11 for similar charges of "posting wrong remarks on Sina Weibo" and "serious violations of political discipline and moral standards."

Liu's Weibo account has also been deleted, but screenshots circulating online showed his calling Mao "more of a disaster than Yuan Shih-kai," a warlord in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) who tried to restore the monarchy in 1915, presenting himself as the Chinese emperor.

One protester even posted the phone numbers to Luohe TV online and urged his followers to call the station in protest.

Many online netizens have vowed to continue to find people whom they believe are living off the benefits of the system but defile the republic's very founder.

On Monday night, the Weibo account of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Daily posted an article criticizing TV host Liang Hongda for defaming Lei Feng.

Lei was a PLA soldier singled out posthumously by Mao in 1963 in a campaign that promoted him as an icon representing selflessness and loyalty to the Party.