India on Thursday said it will never “provoke” a conflict at the border with Pakistan but will not back off if there is any attack, asserting a befitting reply will be given. “India will never provoke conflict by being the first to open fire across the borders but will never back off. Our forces will give a befitting reply to shelling and gunfire from across the border,” Home Minister Rajnath Singh said addressing a conference of BSF and security officials here. Singh was speaking in the context of ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control(LoC) and International Border, which is guarded by the Border Security Force(BSF) The Home Minister also said his government’s policy of BSF giving a befitting reply to any unprovoked firing by Pakistan has gone down well in the country. On other issues, Singh said that in order to enhance the vigil and security at India’s riverine borders along Pakistan and Bangladesh, the government has sanctioned nine new ‘floating’ border posts to the force.