In Hong Kong, Sotheby's announced on Wednesday that it had postponed the auction of jewels linked to Buddha’s relics, following the Indian government's objection to the sale and its demand for its cancellation.

The auction house said the gems for sale were found buried with the body parts of the historical Buddha in special containers in northern India in 1898. They said the gems were from around 240-200 BC.

However, India’s Ministry of Culture declared on Tuesday via a Facebook post that it had served a legal injunction on Sotheby’s Hong Kong, insisting upon the immediate cessation of the auction and alleging the sale contravened "Indian statutes, global conventions, and UN accords."

In a formal communication to Sotheby's Hong Kong, published on Facebook on Monday, the organisation asserted that the auction included sacred Buddhist artefacts representing the inherent religious and cultural legacy of India and the international Buddhist fraternity. They formally requested the return of these relics to the Indian government and a public expression of remorse from both the auction house and Chris Peppé.

Peppé is a great-grandson of the British William Peppé, who undertook the excavation of the relics.

The Indian government warned in the letter that if they did not follow the rules, there would be legal actions and public campaigns. These campaigns would show how the auction house is helping to continue colonial injustice and taking part in the wrong sale of religious items.

Sotheby’s disclosed the postponement in a statement on Wednesday, acknowledging the concerns raised by the Indian government and indicating it was done in concert with the consignors.

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

Certain webpages on Sotheby’s website pertaining to the auction had become inaccessible by Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the Indian Ministry of Culture announced on Facebook its satisfaction regarding the postponement of the auction following its intervention.