New Delhi: Amid the ongoing controversy over the change of the Indian Hockey teams’ jersey colour, Hockey India (HI) on Saturday (September 12) stripped its Director General Cdr R.K. Srivastava of all his powers and also served him a show cause notice, reported Press Trust of India.Among other charges, the show cause notice alleges that the change in the Indian national teams’ playing jersey was “implemented and publicly launched without prior consultation with the President or Executive Committee.”The notice, which was sent by HI president Dilip Tirkey through his lawyer lists eight charges against Srivastava and gives him four weeks from receipt of the communication to submit his reply. The notice says that in case of failure to reply, the matter “may proceed on the available record and further action may be taken by the competent authority.”The latest development comes days after the HI decided that the Indian hockey teams will return to wearing blue jersey at the upcoming Asian games which will be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4.Earlier, HI had faced severe flak after choosing saffron coloured jerseys instead of the traditional blue jersey during the World Cup held last month.“With immediate effect, all your powers as Director General of Hockey India cease, and you shall not exercise any authority or act on behalf of Hockey India pending further decision in accordance with the Hockey India Bye-Laws,” says the show cause notice served to Srivastava , reported PTI.Srivastava could not be contacted despite several attempts, added the PTI report.“This direction is issued to you on behalf of the President, Hockey India, to maintain discipline, accountability, transparency, preservation of records and the smooth functioning of Hockey India, without prejudice to your right to reply, and shall remain operative until reconsidered, modified or superseded in accordance with the Hockey India Bye-Laws,” the show cause notice adds.Other charges levelled on Srivastava include the PR agency/media embargo during the jersey controversy.“The change in the Indian National Teams’ playing jersey was implemented and publicly launched without prior consultation with the President or Executive Committee. When specifically asked to identify the authority, approval, delegation and player/coach consultation supporting the decision, no Executive Committee resolution, Presidential approval or complete documentary foundation was produced despite repeated directions,” says the notice.In July this year, former Odisha chief minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo Naveen Patnaik had accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state of being instrumental behind changing the Indian hockey team’s jersey colour from blue to saffron.The move had triggered widespread criticism from former players and social media users, who called out the “saffronisation” of sports after the systemic imposition of the politically-charged colour by the incumbent BJP over the past decade.