India, Sept. 26 -- Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday said BrahMos missiles manufactured in a now-transformed Uttar Pradesh were giving "sleepless" nights to Pakistan, while the AK-203 assault rifle manufactured in Amethi has become a weapon against "Naxalites and terrorists."

"This is the biggest symbol of change," he said, recalling how India had effectively used BrahMos missiles during Operation Sindoor.

He also said the state, once notorious for manufacturing illegal country-made pistols (known as 'kattas' in local parlance), was now home to the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor with six nodes in Jhansi, Chitrakoot, Lucknow, Agra, Aligarh and Kanpur.

Addressing the fourth edition of the Uttar Pradesh International Trad...