HONG KONG (AP) — Sotheby’s on Wednesday deferred an auction of jewels purportedly linked to Buddha’s remains following opposition from the Indian government, which insisted on its cancellation.

The auction house announced that the gemstones, which were found buried with the historical Buddha's remains in northern India in 1898, are now being sold at auction.

However, India's Ministry of Culture stated in a Facebook post on Tuesday that it had served a legal notice on Sotheby's Hong Kong, demanding the immediate cessation of the sale and alleging that the auction contravened "Indian laws, international norms, and UN conventions."

In a letter sent to Sotheby's Hong Kong and shared on Facebook on Monday, it was stated that the auction includes important Buddhist items. These items are considered a key part of the religious and cultural history of India and the world's Buddhist community. Therefore, the letter asked for the items to be returned to the Indian government and for Sotheby's and Chris Peppé to say sorry publicly.

Peppé is a great-grandson of British William Peppé, renowned for excavating the relics.

The Indian government warned that if they did not follow the rules, there would be legal actions and public campaigns showing how the auction house helped continue colonial injustice and took part in selling religious items in a way that was not right.

Sotheby's released a statement on Wednesday announcing the delay, acknowledging the concerns raised by the Indian government and stating the postponement was made with the consent of the consignors.

This will facilitate discussions between the parties, and we anticipate sharing updates as deemed appropriate.

Certain webpages on Sotheby’s site pertaining to the auction were inaccessible by Wednesday.

The Indian Ministry of Culture announced on Facebook on Wednesday that it was “pleased to inform” the public that the auction had been postponed following its intervention.