BJP's Amit Shah and Samajwadi Party's Azam Khan have been banned from holding any public meetings or road shows in Uttar Pradesh, the Election Commission said Friday.
The poll panel also accused the Akhilesh Yadav government of "soft-pedalling" in taking action against Khan who is a cabinet minister in it.
The state government was also asked to lodge a first information report (FIR) against the two leaders for making hate speeches during the election campaign.
"Necessary FIRs should be immediately filed and the criminal proceeding initiated against the two leaders," the panel said.
While Shah, a close aide of Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, asked the voters to cast their ballot for revenge for the Muzaffarnagar riots, Khan said Muslims soldiers were to be credited for India's victory in the Kargil war.
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The poll panel pulled up the state government for not acting with "required alacrity" against the two leaders.
It further said that despite the commission sending notice to Khan earlier, he was still indulging in the violation of Model Code of Conduct.
"No FIR seems to have been filed against Azam Khan so far," it noted.
"The commission is of the view that the state government machinery is soft pedalling in taking required action against him," it further added.
