New Delhi, Aug 2 (IANS): The sports ministry Monday issued a show cause notice to Hockey India (HI) asking it to explain why the government should not withdraw its provisional recognition.

The notice comes two days ahead of the HI's first elections slated for Aug 5.

The Supreme Court Friday had given the green signal to HI elections by lifting the stay orders of the Delhi and Bombay High Courts.

The Supreme Court accepted the HI's status as a private body and allowed it to conduct the elections according to its own set of rules and bye-laws.

This has not gone down well with the sports ministry, which wants HI to conduct the elections as per the rules laid down by the ministry.

In the show cause notice to HI, the sports ministry's joint secretary Injeti Srinivas said: "In view of private body status of the HI being accepted by the Supreme Court, on the basis of which HI have been allowed to conduct their elections on the basis of their own set of rules and bye-laws, you are hereby called upon to explain before the date of holding elections why the provisional recognition granted to HI by the sports ministry should not be withdrawn with immediate effect."

"Failure to furnish a satisfactory reply within time limit stated above will automatically result in withdrawal of recognition to the HI as an National Sports Federation (NSF) in India," Srinivas said.