A week before losing the federal election, Scott Morrison described himself as "a bit of a bulldozer".
But the concept of "bulldozer politics" has a far more literal meaning in India, where in recent years these excavators have become an extrajudicial tool in the hands of politicians.
Also called "bulldozer justice", the trend has lately seen heavy machinery being deployed to demolish houses of those who have protested and have been accused of rioting.
Houses, shops and small establishments have been bulldozed in India, disproportionately targeting Muslims in the Hindu-majority country.
The bulldozer has become a symbol for Hindu nationalist politicians, but it's just the latest instance of long-simmering tensions for India's Muslims, who have been subjected to lynchings and discrimination.
What happened?
Back in May, Nupur Sharma, the then-spokesperson for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), made some reportedly offensive remarks about the Prophet Mohammed during a TV debate.
Her comments outraged India's 200 million Muslims and sparked a diplomatic headache for the country, with several Islamic countries issuing a strong rebuke.
Ms Sharma was later suspended from the party, as was Naveen Kumar Jindal, the head of BJP's Delhi media unit, for sharing a screenshot of her remarks.
In response, India's Ministry of External Affairs said the comments do not reflect the government's views.
"We've made it pretty clear that the tweets and comments don't reflect views of the government. This has been conveyed to our interlocutors as also the fact that action has been taken by concerned quarters against those who made the comments and tweets," spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
Last week, protests were held after Friday prayers in several parts of the country, including India's most populous and electorally-important state Uttar Pradesh, and the capital, Delhi.
Some instances of stone pelting were reported, but Amnesty International has accused authorities of "excessive use of force" in response. The group said two protesters, including a 15-year-old, were fatally shot in the head by police.
"The government of India is selectively and viciously cracking down on Muslims who dare to speak up and peacefully express their dissent against the discrimination faced by them," said Aakar Patel, chair of Amnesty International India Board.
But another prong of the authorities' response has been the demolition of houses, including the family home of activist Javed Mohammed, the leader of the Welfare Party in India, who has been labelled a "key conspirator" of the Friday demonstrations.
His daughter, Afreen Fatima, is also a student activist and both have been vocal about laws they say are discriminatory to Muslims.
Authorities have argued the structures were illegal constructions or encroachments and that warnings had been issued, but critics said the bulldozers have targeted Muslims disproportionately.
In the case of Mr Mohammed, Amnesty said "a backdated notice was pasted on the wall of the family's house at 11pm in the night before the planned demolition", which took place on Sunday.
The group added it was issued in Mr Mohammed's name, despite him not being the actual owner of the property — it belonged to his wife, according to local media reports.
What does 'bulldozer politics' mean?
The weekend's demolition was just the latest iteration of "bulldozer politics".
The bulldozer became "a very potent symbol" in the lead-up to local elections in March this year in the state of Uttar Pradesh, according to Ali Khan Mahmudabad, head of the political science department at Ashoka University.
But he said it's also become a symbol of fear for Muslims.
"It's not just that you will go to jail, or you will get arrested, but your entire family will suffer."
Uttar Pradesh's chief minister Yogi Adityanath, a member of the ruling BJP, has been given the moniker "Bulldozer Baba (Father)".
Bulldozers featured prominently during his election campaign and were also rolled out for his victory parade.
Over the weekend, Mr Adityanath's media adviser tweeted a picture of a bulldozer and rubble, writing: "Remember, every Friday is followed by a Saturday."
In neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, the chief minister "also went on a kind of bulldozing spree", Dr Khan Mahmudabad said, earning the nickname "Bulldozer Mama (Uncle)".
In that state, a person accused of rape had their home demolished in March on the order of local authorities, side-stepping the legal case against him.
Last month, in Delhi, the Supreme Court ordered to halt an ongoing demolition of homes and shops in Jahangirpuri, where clashes between Hindus and Muslims had broken out.
Dr Khan Mahmudabad said in the case of Delhi, the bulldozing could also be a way for the BJP to consolidate their vote in the state, where they are at risk of losing power.
How can these homes be demolished?
Vrinda Grover, a Supreme Court lawyer, said "bulldozer justice" was a contradiction in terms.
"The term 'justice' here is completely misplaced," she said, adding local authorities were acting with "brazen impunity".
Authorities have attempted to justify demolitions by arguing the structures are illegal, but Ms Grover said some notices had been suddenly "conjured" and bulldozers had appeared when the period of appeal was still pending.
She added it was very commonplace in India for buildings to be in breach of local construction by-laws — but the demolitions had more to do with the identity of the occupants than alleged building irregularities.
"Most homes and shops would actually fall foul of the letter of the municipal laws," she said.
"It is not a coincidence that only the homes of the Muslims who are protesting are being targeted. Suddenly, municipal law is invoked and is weaponised in order to bring these houses down as a form of collective punishment."
She said a law that was developed by the Supreme Court in the 1980s requires that "even if a house or property is to be demolished, it is incumbent upon the authorities to give prior notice and an opportunity to be heard".
Instead, she said, elected officials were usurping the role of the courts and judiciary.
Ongoing persecution of Muslims in India
Dr Khan Mahmudabad pointed out Muslims have been subjected to lynchings in the country and many had objected to discriminatory laws, including a citizenship bill — criticised as "anti-Muslim" — as well as a ban on hijabs in colleges in southern India.
Last month in Madhya Pradesh, a mentally-ill Jain man was murdered because he was suspected of being Muslim.
Dr Khan Mahmudabad said in recent years there had been a shift from the marginalisation of Muslims to exclusion.
He said that deploying the bulldozer takes away the faith that people had in Indian institutions, such as the judiciary, the police and the legal system.
"By subverting the due process and the legal process, the government is itself laying the ground for others to also do the same thing.
"For the last eight years, the BJP has kind of mastered the art of speaking in different registers … I think what this incident of blasphemy did was to break that mirage."
The BJP and India's Ministry of External Affairs have been approached for comment.
