The Supreme Court on Thursday said farmers had the right to protest, but roads cannot be blocked indefinitely.

The apex court granted three weeks' time to farmer unions, leading the nearly year-long agitation along the borders of Delhi and elsewhere against the three central farm laws, to file their response on a petition seeking removal of the protesters from the roads. The court posted the matter for further hearing on December 7.

The court was hearing a petition filed by a woman resident of Noida urging that the protesters be removed from the roads of the national capital region (NCR).

“Ultimately some solution has to be found. I’m not averse to their right to protest even when a legal challenge is pending. Roads cannot be blocked,” Justice Kaul said.

(With inputs from agencies)