Article 370 Case : Live Updates From Supreme Court Hearing [Day 3]

The bench has risen for the day.

CJI: So Mr Subramanian, you'll conclude by lunch tomorrow?

Subramanian: Yes my lords, that's very fair

Sr Adv Gopal Subramanian: I'll argue next. I will be covering some unfinished parts of Mr Sibal's. Some parts need to be cemented, particularly with reference to decisions of Constituent Assembly of J&K itself.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal has concluded his arguments.

Sibal: If you threw such executive acts, silenced the voices of people, what is left of democracy? All I can say it is that this is the historic moment, historic not for the present but for the future of India. And I hope this court is not silent.

Sibal: What is a Constitution? It is a set of values. A values on the basis of which people will represent themselves and their voice will be heard.

Sibal: We stand at a situation where though the constitution is a political document, its provisions cannot be manipulated or manouvered for political ends. That's not how interpret a constitution. It is a political document but you can misuse it politically.

Sibal: Where is the voices of people of J&K? Where is the voice of representative democracy? 5 years have passed. Have you had any form of representative democracy? Whole of India can be converted.

Sibal (referring to State reorganization commission, 1953) : Essentially, there are two aspects to that. The text of the constitution doesn't allow you to do that and the fundamentals of constitutional democracy do not allow.

Sibal: Otherwise this power can be exercised any time

Sibal: You can carve out a UT if you have two or more states come together. But you can't create two UTs in a state.