"cause of controversy" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use this phrase to refer to something that has caused a disagreement or dispute. For example, "The cause of controversy was the mayor's proposed tax increase."
The memorials to the Confederacy, which were really markers of triumphant Jim Crow, have only now, in the 21st century, become a major cause of controversy.
Plans for the Gungahlin mosque in Canberra, Australia's capital, include a computer lab.Avant-garde architecture does not mitigate the chief cause of controversy among non-Muslim residents: size.
Clergy Reserves, lands formerly set aside for the Church of England in Canada, a cause of controversy in 19th-century Canadian politics.
Last month he was declared a saint, though he had been a cause of controversy within Vatican circles for many years because he had displayed stigmata and his followers had claimed he could predict the future and heal the sick.
Coco was a cause of controversy in 2013, when Pixar's parent company Disney tried to trademark the phrase Día de los Muertos for marketing purposes, and was accused of cultural appropriation.
While few disputes exist regarding the efficacy of peroxide-based at-home whitening since its first introduction in 1989, its safety has been the cause of controversy and concern.
Prison conditions in Iraq have been a cause of increasing controversy.
Mr Hunt's handling of the NHS junior doctors contract has been the cause of much controversy.
That was the cause of much controversy in the deal".
Apple's new mapping feature was released with iOS 6 in September, and has since been the cause of much controversy.
She played every game in the world championships in July at the expense of ageing veteran Eloise Southby, a decision which was the cause of some controversy.
