The controversy over India's new saffron hockey jersey intensified on Friday after Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey sought a formal explanation for the decision,
He said neither he nor the federation's Executive Board had been consulted before the change was implemented.
Tirkey wrote to Executive Board members and Hockey India executive director R K Srivastava seeking details of the decision-making process and asking who had authorised the change.
"My concern is not with the choice of saffron itself. However, a decision of this significance, involving the identity and representation of our national team, should ideally have been discussed with the elected leadership and the Executive Board before implementation," Tirkey reportedly said in his email.
He noted that the decision had attracted public attention and political reactions and said he had described it publicly as a "purely sporting decision" to keep the focus on India's preparations for the Hockey World Cup.
Tirkey also said the Odisha government had sought an explanation from him and asked Hockey India officials to provide a written clarification outlining the rationale, the process followed and the authority under which the decision was approved.
The controversy began after Hockey India unveiled the saffron jersey for the men's and women's teams ahead of the Hockey World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands this month.
Opposition leaders criticised the move, alleging an attempt to impose saffron on national symbols.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the BJP and RSS of trying to reshape institutions and history, while Congress MPs Amar Singh and Tariq Anwar described the move as an attempt to "saffronise" public institutions.
Trinamool Congress leader Kirti Azad said sporting success depended on players' abilities, not the colour of their uniforms, and argued that the traditional blue jersey should have been retained. Former India captain Viren Rasquinha also questioned the decision, saying the team's identity had long been associated with the blue jersey.
Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik called the blue jersey "an emotion associated with the nation's sporting heritage" and alleged that the change had been made under pressure from the BJP government in the state.
Hockey India defended the decision, saying it followed consultations with players and support staff, who felt the traditional blue jersey blended with the blue synthetic turf used in international hockey, affecting visibility. The federation said players and coaches had suggested alternative colours, including saffron and yellow, and added that the new jersey celebrates India's cultural heritage and embodies the spirit of "Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat".