India, Sept. 17 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday re-emphasised the focus on national security and self-reliance, as he launched welfare and development schemes in Madhya Pradesh on his 75th birthday. He reiterated his call for buying and selling Indian goods and putting up posters on shops, reflecting pride in trading indigenous goods.

He referred to the cross-border 'Operation Sindoor' launched in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack (April) and said Indian soldiers brought Pakistan to its knees. "A new India is not afraid of nuclear threats," he said at a rally in Madhya Pradesh.

He cited Jaish-e-Mohammad commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri's statement about the killing of the family members of the terror group's leader,...