Fact Check: Did Indira Gandhi Ask Indians To Stop Buying Gold In 1967? Know The Truth Behind Viral Claim

New Delhi: A alleged front page of newspaper The Hindu dated June 6, 1967, claiming former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi appealed to Indians to stop buying gold due to a foreign exchange crisis, has gone viral on social media. However, the image being widely circulated online is digitally altered and not authentic.

The claim gained traction after several social media users, political commentators and even BJP leaders shared the clipping while drawing comparisons between Indira Gandhi’s policies and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal regarding gold purchases.

What Was The Viral Claim?

The viral image allegedly showed a June 6, 1967 front page of The Hindu carrying a report that Indira Gandhi had urged citizens to avoid purchasing gold as part of a “national discipline” effort to ease pressure on India’s foreign exchange reserves.

The claim resurfaced after PM Modi, during a rally in Secunderabad on May 10, appealed to citizens to postpone non-essential gold purchases, including buying jewellery for weddings, amid rising crude oil prices and concerns over foreign exchange reserves linked to the ongoing West Asia conflict.

The Hindu Clarifies Viral Image Is Fake

However, The Hindu officially clarified that the front page circulating online is fake and does not belong to its archives.

“A digitally altered image purporting to be a front page of The Hindu from June 6, 1967, is currently circulating on social media. We wish to clarify that this is not an authentic page from our archives,” the publication stated while urging readers to verify information before sharing it online.

The original June 6, 1967 edition of the newspaper reportedly carried major headlines related to the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War, which had erupted a day earlier, and not any appeal regarding gold purchases.

Why The Claim Went Viral

The altered clipping was amplified by multiple social media users and political figures attempting to draw parallels between the Modi government’s recent economic cautionary appeal and past economic measures during the Congress era.

Among those who shared the viral image were BJP leaders and media houses discussing India’s foreign exchange pressures and rising global oil prices.

Did Indira Gandhi Government Restrict Gold?

While the viral newspaper clipping itself is fake, the broader context around gold restrictions during Indira Gandhi’s tenure is partly rooted in historical fact.

In 1968, the Indira Gandhi government introduced the Gold Control Act under then Finance Minister Morarji Desai. The legislation imposed strict restrictions on gold ownership, including bans on holding gold bars and coins, in an attempt to curb smuggling, reduce gold imports and protect the Indian rupee during a period of economic strain.

The law remained in force for years before eventually being repealed in 1990.

Verdict

The viral June 6, 1967 The Hindu front page claiming Indira Gandhi appealed to citizens to stop buying gold is digitally altered and fake. While gold control measures were indeed introduced by the government in the late 1960s, the specific newspaper clipping being circulated online is not authentic.