Kolkata/IBNS: The Bengal government has written to the junior doctors, who are protesting against the rape and murder of a colleague at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, inviting them to participate in a discussion.

The email came as the thousands of junior doctors are protesting close to the Swastha Bhavan (the administrative building of the state's Health and Family Welfare) in Salt Lake area on Tuesday to demand justice for the rape and murder of a medic in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The deadline set by the Supreme Court for doctors to join their duty ended at 5 pm.

The doctors, who are on a casework demanding justice for the Kolkata medic, had set a counter deadline of 5 pm for the state government to accept their demands.

In the email to the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front, the government has asked the doctors to come for a discussion and end the month-long standoff. 

However, the doctors have refused the proposal, saying the email came from the health secretary, one of the people whose resignation is among the demands by the protesters.

"The email has come from the health secretary and this is insulting to us," the protesting doctors said.

During Monday's hearing, the Supreme Court had said that if the doctors did not return to work by 5 pm this evening, it would give the state clearance for action.

However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that she would prefer to settle the impasse through dialogue and not action against the doctors.

The protesting doctors said they would rejoin work only after their demands were met.

The junior doctors are demanding the resignations of a few state health officials, Commissioner of Police Vineet Goyal, and justice for the victim.

The state's counsel, advocate Kapil Sibal had claimed during Monday's hearing that 23 patients have died due to the junior doctors' ceasework.

In the previous hearing held last month, the CJI had urged the junior doctors to resume work restraining the government from any action against them.