HONG KONG (AP) — On Wednesday, Sotheby's stopped a sale of jewellery connected to the remains of Buddha. This happened after the Indian government was against the sale and asked for it to be stopped.

The auction house said the jewels for sale were found buried in northern India in 1898. They were discovered with boxes holding the remains of the Buddha and are from about 240-200 BC.

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

In a letter sent to Sotheby’s Hong Kong on Monday and shared on Facebook, the organisation said the auction included important Buddhist items. They explained that these items are part of the religious and cultural history of India and all Buddhists around the world, and they should not be taken away. The organisation asked for the items to be sent back to the Indian government and for Sotheby's and Chris Peppé to apologise publicly.

Peppé is the great-grandson of William Peppé, a British man who dug up the relics.

In the letter, the Indian government warned that if the auction house didn't follow the rules, they would take legal action and start public campaigns. These campaigns would show how the auction house helped continue colonial injustice and was involved in the wrong sale of religious items.

Sotheby's said on Wednesday that they were delaying the event. They explained this was because of the problems the Indian government had mentioned, and the people selling the items had agreed to it.

"This will make it possible for the groups to talk, and we will tell you about any news when it's the right time," it said.

Some of Sotheby’s webpages about the auction could not be found on Wednesday.

India's Ministry of Culture announced on Facebook on Wednesday that the auction was postponed because they had become involved.