HONG KONG (AP) — Sotheby’s delayed selling some jewellery linked to Buddha on Wednesday because the Indian government was against the sale and asked for it to stop.

The auction house said the gems being sold were found in northern India in 1898. They were buried together in special containers called reliquaries, along with the body parts of the historical Buddha. The auction house added that the gems are from about 240-200 BC.

However, on Tuesday, India's Ministry of Culture said on Facebook that it had sent a legal notice to Sotheby's Hong Kong. They asked them to stop the sale right away. The ministry said the auction went against "Indian laws, international rules, and UN agreements."

In a letter to Sotheby's Hong Kong, shared on Facebook on Monday, it said the auction included important Buddhist items that are part of India's and the world's Buddhist culture. It asked for the items to be returned to the Indian government and for Sotheby's and Chris Peppé to apologize publicly.

Peppé is the great-grandson of British William Peppé. William Peppé found the relics by digging.

In the letter, the Indian government warned that if they didn't follow the rules, they would face legal action and public campaigns. These campaigns would show how the auction house is helping unfair colonial practices and is part of the wrong sale of religious items.

Sotheby's announced on Wednesday that they were delaying the event. They said they understood the problems the Indian government had raised and that the sellers had agreed to the delay.

"This will help the groups to discuss things, and we will share any news when it is right to do so," it said.

Some pages on Sotheby’s website about the auction could not be found on Wednesday.

India's Culture Ministry announced on Facebook on Wednesday that the auction was delayed because they had stepped in.