New Delhi: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on December 13 said the troop deployment on the borders sent "strong message" to Pakistan to end cross-border terrorism and India would make sure that it "works".

"I can tell you that the message is working. We'll make sure that it works," he told the captains of Industry at the FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) Platinum Jubilee celebrations in New Delhi.

"We were forced to deploy our troops on the borders to send a strong message to our western neighbour," he said adding the message was "clear and simple" that government was determined to end cross-border terrorism.

"The message was, and it continues to be, clear and simple: that we are determined to end cross-border terrorism and to protect the unity and integrity of India, whatever it takes," he said.

Recalling the audacious December 13 terror attack of 2001, Vajpayee said, "Indeed today is the first anniversary of the terrorist attack on our Parliament, which forced us to take that decision."

Vajpayee's assertion assumes significance in the face of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's claims on December 12 that New Delhi spent nearly $ 1.5 billion in its military standoff with Islamabad do achieve nothing.

PTI