In a first, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will spend almost three days with the top policemen and internal security heads of the country in December, deliberating pressing internal security matters like the influence of Islamic State, role of social media in violence, crime and Left Wing Extremism (LWE).
The annual three-day conference of Directors-General of Police (DGP) of all States and heads of the paramilitary forces is being held at Rann of Kutch, Gujarat from December 18 to 20.
Besides the PM, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, his junior ministers and top officials will also attend it.
On Thursday, Prime Minister held an hour’s review meeting with top officials of the PMO Nripendra Mishra, P.K. Mishra, A.K. Doval, IB chief Dineshwar Sharma, MHA officials and officials from Gujarat, Chief Secretary G.R. Aloria, DGP P.C. Thakur and Mr. Modi’s trusted aide K. Kailashnathan, who is Chief Principal Secretary of Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel.
This is the first time that the Prime Minister will dedicate two-and-a-half days exclusively to the security conference. Traditionally the PM’s role has only been only restricted to delivering an inaugural speech.“This time, the Prime Minister is even departing from the tradition of delivering an inaugural speech, which will be given by the Home Minister. Instead, the PM will deliver the concluding speech,” a top official who attended the meeting told The Hindu.
“At the meeting, the PM stressed that instead of a single conference, there should be a series of group discussions on the various issues so that quality deliberation can happen. He pointed out that a conference is always a one-way communication.”
“For example, the PM will sit with officers involved in fighting Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and go through the presentations made by them. He will also participate in the discussions which follow. The idea is to go deeper into the subject. The same is true for issues like Islamic State, India’s effort in counter-radicalisation and also role of social media in violent crimes,” said a senior government official in Delhi.
Thursday’s meeting was the second high-level meeting involving the top officials of the Centre and the Gujarat government.
Earlier on November 6, Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and IB Director Dineshwar Sharma visited Gandhinagar to hold a meeting regarding the logistics of the conference being held in the border district of Kutch.
“As per the details the Ministry of Home has shared with us, there will be 200 top officials, including DGPs of all States and chiefs of paramilitary services such as the BSF, the CRPF, the ITBP for the conference. The officials are expected to bring their families also,” said a top official from the Home Department in Gujarat.
