Presidency University Vice-Chancellor Anuradha Lohia held talks with students, agitating over the suspension of three of their batchmates but the talks remained deadlocked till Wednesday night.
The students were holding a sit-in outside Lohia's office in the main administrative building and six of them were on hunger strike since January 19.
During the talks, the VC insisted that the six withdraw their fast while the students demanded withdrawal of the suspension on three students, one of the agitators said.
Otherwise, the authorities should reveal the grounds on which three students were singled out "from hundred others" for closing the main gate on September 10 and put under suspension, he said.
Terming the decision of the students to go on fast as "nothing short of blackmail", Lohia told reporters, "No discussion on any issue can be possible till the students withdraw their fast."
Lohia held series of talks with the agitating students in her chamber since afternoon, but there was no breakthrough, a university official said.
Another agitating student said, "We are holding the sit-in since yesterday to press for the demands but we are not preventing any official to leave the campus, including the VC madam. We are sitting outside her chamber but she can leave any time she wants."
The indefinite fast by seven students including three suspended students entered the fifth day on Wednesday. Two of the fasting students fell sick during the period and treated at a hospital.
The three students were suspended on December 19 on the charge of locking the gate of the university and preventing the vice-chancellor and other officials from entering the premises on September 10 when agitation over the hand over of Hindu Hostel was going on.
Boarders were allocated rooms in the Hindu Hostel since November 28, the over 130-year-old accommodation, after completion of renovation in two blocks.
Students had gone on fast for immediate shifting to Hindu Hostel in October last year.
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