NEW DELHI: In a first, a deputy director of Parliament Security Service has been demoted for sharing "offensive, derogatory, demeaning and sarcastic" posts against PM Narendra Modi, some Union ministers and chief ministers on social media.

Urujul Hasan , who has been under suspension since June 2018, was demoted from deputy director (security) to security officer - a lower rank - for a period of five years. The Rajya Sabha secretariat, in its notification on Wednesday, said the officer had violated rules of conduct and failed to maintain "political neutrality". It said the officer had shared a number of posts that "indicated his active involvement in political activities".

The penalty was imposed by Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu. According to the order, besides demotion, Hasan will not get increments in his salary for five years or regain his current position on the expiry of the punishment period. His suspension was revoked with effect from February 10.

The secretariat said Hasan also shared a number of posts "indicating his active involvement or assistance or indulgence in political activities, canvassing in connection with an election to the legislature and failure to maintain political neutrality and thereby violating the rules ".

The Rajya Sabha Service Rules , 1957, and Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules bar employees from indulging in any activity that is considered "unbecoming of a government servant" besides prohibiting any involvement in political activities.

"This penalty is more severe than merely putting him under suspension, it means the official will lose nearly 15 years of his overall seniority in real terms," said an official.

