West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Saturday, met with junior doctors protesting over the tragic rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a state-run hospital in Kolkata. The protests, sparked by the incident at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, have drawn national attention, leading to widespread demonstrations.

Banerjee engaged with the doctors outside her residence, urging them to join the discussions to resolve the situation. However, disagreements over recording the talks stalled the meeting for the second time this week. Banerjee expressed her frustration, having waited twice for the doctors, and urged them to at least come inside her home for a cup of tea if they were unwilling to negotiate at that moment.

"Earlier, I waited for two hours, and now again, you said you wanted a meeting, but here I am waiting once more. Please do not insult me like this," Banerjee told the protesting doctors, who stood outside her home in the rain.

When the doctors insisted on recording the discussions, Banerjee assured them the meeting would be recorded but added that the matter was sub-judice, and the video would only be shared with them, pending approval from the Supreme Court. She also cited security concerns and space limitations due to the large number of doctors present.

In an effort to bridge the gap, Banerjee earlier made a surprise visit to the protest site at Swasthya Bhavan, the state’s health headquarters, urging doctors to return to work and promising to address their concerns. She assured them that no punitive action would be taken against them, contrasting the situation with states like Uttar Pradesh, where stricter measures had been enforced to prevent strikes. Banerjee emphasized that this was her "last attempt" to resolve the crisis.

The junior doctors have been protesting since Tuesday, demanding better security at state-run hospitals and the dismissal of top officials following the trainee doctor's assault and murder. A previous meeting scheduled on Thursday had also failed due to similar disagreements over the livestreaming of the discussions.

Despite the delays, Banerjee reiterated her commitment to resolving the crisis, saying she was ready to step down if necessary for the benefit of the people.