Narendra Modi's closest aide, Amit Shah, banned for inciting Muslims

Narendra Modi, widely tipped to become India's next prime minister, suffered a setback when his closest aide was banned from election rallies and meetings after a series of speeches deemed to have stoked tensions with Muslims.

Modi, 63, a pro-business Hindu nationalist, is the prime-ministerial candidate of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which hopes to oust Rahul Gandhi's ruling Congress party with its promises of jobs and new infrastructure.

The aide, Amit Shah, who faces murder charges dating to his time serving under Modi in the state government of Gujarat, runs Modi's campaign in the state of Uttar Pradesh, which has a population larger than Brazil's and holds the keys to national power. Shah says the charges are a political conspiracy.

It was not immediately clear what impact a possibly disruptive ban on meetings in Uttar Pradesh by such a high-profile figure would have on Modi's campaign in the state. Shah is tipped to take up a senior role in any Modi government.

Uttar Pradesh, a northern state that is home to 200 million people, sends 80 lawmakers to Parliament - more than any other area. The BJP has never formed a national government without winning the most seats there.

The election commission ruled that both Shah and a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government had made statements that promoted "hatred and ill will" between religions and urged police to press criminal charges.

Speaking this month in an area of western Uttar Pradesh hit last year by deadly Hindu-Muslim riots, Shah was recorded telling voters to reject parties with Muslim candidates. He said Muslims in the area had raped, killed and humiliated Hindus.