A threadbare analysis of incidents of lynching, the role of policemen, and its consequence is also likely to be taken up in one of the sessions. (Representational photo)

Ahead of the 2019 polls, fake news on social media, “urban Naxals”, incidents of lynching, illegal migrants, the revival of Khalistan militancy in Punjab, and Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) will dominate this year’s annual Directors-General of Police (DGP) conference, scheduled for December 20-22 at the recently inaugurated Statue of Unity in Gujarat, officials said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, and NSA Ajit Doval will also be present during the event.

Other agendas being finalised by the Intelligence Bureau (IB), in consultation with states’ police, includes internal security, insurgency in the Northeast, new-age issues such as encryption, cyber stalking, and faster resolution of cyber crime complaints, and Left- wing extremism (LWE).

During the three-day discussion, a session on erosion of police credibility is being planned, in order to address the growing insensitivity among the law enforcement agencies, officials added.

A review of pending recommendations from the previous conferences was held by Singh on Monday, where it was learnt that several of these directions were only present on paper but no action had been taken by states.

Some of these recommendations include focus on regular patrolling and intelligence gathering by the constabulary, use of cyber space, Aadhaar and finger prints to advantage, persuading children to attend school, and for parents to participate in the pulse polio programme.

A threadbare analysis of incidents of lynching, the role of policemen, and its consequence is also likely to be taken up in one of the sessions.

Top police officers from Punjab and adjoining states will also take up issues related to revival of Khalistan militancy in Punjab. Chief minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh has raised the issue on several occasions, citing intelligence reports that Pakistan’s ISI may be behind it.

Among other issues likely to be taken up for discussion in closed-door meetings will be sharp rise in infiltration by militants from across the border, and how to financially choke the resources of militant groups like LeT and JeM with international cooperation, officials added.

A case study on the recent success against Islamic State (IS) is also likely to be shared by states like Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala.

Officials said North Block had proposed Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar, and Ladakh as alternate venues for this year’s meet. However, South Block suggested Sardar Patel’s Statue of Unity, following which the decision was taken — Patel is credited with the setting up of a training institute in Hyderabad for IPS officers.