New Delhi: India's top court on Wednesday issued guidelines regarding 'bulldozer actions,' calling the demolition of private properties 'unconstitutional.' 'If a citizen's house is demolished merely because he is an accused or even for that matter a convict, that too without following the due process as prescribed by law, in our considered view, it will be totally unconstitutional for more than one reason,' the court said in its judgment. According to Anadolu Agency, the judges noted that 'executive cannot become a judge,' emphasizing that the sight of a bulldozer demolishing a building without adhering to the principle of due process is reminiscent of a lawless state. The court has directed that no demolitions should occur without a prior show cause notice and warned that violations could lead to contempt proceedings and prosecution. The order comes as the court reviewed a case where petitioners argued that authorities were demolishing properties without due procedure. Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, a petitioner, hi ghlighted that demolitions of Muslim properties in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have brought the issue into the spotlight. In 2022, the top court issued a notice to the central and provincial governments, seeking responses regarding the demolitions. Despite the absence of official nationwide data, the New Delhi-based Housing and Land Rights Network reported that between January 2022 and December 2023, authorities demolished over 150,000 houses in India, leading to the eviction of over 0.74 million people. The rights body has associated bulldozers with the oppression of Muslims, stating that demolitions without due process have left many Muslims homeless or without livelihoods. Amnesty International has called for an immediate halt to what it describes as the "widespread unlawful demolitions" affecting Muslims' homes, businesses, and places of worship in India.