The Ranchi administration has lodged a case of violation of the model code of conduct over the display of a tableau to protest the arrest of former chief minister Hemant Soren at a rally on Thursday evening to mark the Sarhul festival of tribals.

The FIR, which was lodged on Friday, has prompted the JMM to allege that the officials in the state are working at the behest of the Election Commission against the ruling government.

According to reports, Ranchi district education officer Vinay Kumar, who was deputed as the magistrate for the Sarhul procession, had lodged an FIR at Kotwali police station against 24 people at Argora police station for violation of the model code of conduct.

The FIR states that the tableau had images that purported to show Hemant and officials of the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI with the message in Hindi: “Jail ka tala tutega, Hemant Soren chutega (The jail lock will be broken, Hemant Soren will be freed).”

The FIR has been registered against the president of the Central Sarna Samity, Phoolchand Tirkey, and others for “using the religious occasion to serve political interests”.

The FIR also states that the administration had video-recorded the tableau.

A similar case has been lodged on the complaint of Vinay Kumar against the Central Sarna Samity, which had taken out the procession, at Argora police station.

“We decided to lodge the complaint as the organisers of the rally had used the religious occasion to raise political issues, which is a violation of the model code of conduct,” Vinay Kumar told The Telegraph.

However, the tribal leader of Sarna Samity, Ajay Tirkey, claimed that it did not attract cases under the model code of conduct.

“It was only an exhibition of the sentiments of the majority of tribals against the arrest of Hemant Soren by the ED on a fabricated land scam case. There was no use of party flags or names of any political party during the rally. Is it illegal to show your sentiments in democracy?” Ajay Tirkey asked.