New Delhi, July 11: Jawaharlal Nehru University continues to remain on the boil after late night talks between the administration and student leaders on a hunger strike failed yesterday.

Ten students continued their hunger strike for the 13th day, turning down pleas from vice-chancellor B.B. Bhattacharya to end the protest.

“He (Bhattacharya) had nothing new to offer us. The talks were useless,” Dhananjay Tripathi, the JNU students’ union president, said today.

Two students collapsed and had to be taken to the hospital on the campus in the afternoon.

Bhattacharya, who offered the union leaders a “free discussion on all issues” once they call off the hunger strike, said the students were behaving “unreasonably”.

“Whatever our differences, we don’t want our students falling ill because of something which can be avoided. They should call off their strike and come to me. That is what I told them yesterday,” he said.

The students are protesting against the rustication of seven students for harassing registrar Avais Ahmed last month. Four other students, including Tripathi and union vice-president Tyler Walker Williams, were issued showcause notices but were let off with minor fines.

The students had surrounded Ahmed’s car during protests against the administration’s decision to fire some contract labourers working in the JNU hostels.

According to the union, the action against the labourers is illegal but the administration says it hasn’t done anything wrong.

The rusticated students had to vacate hostel rooms by June 26. They are, however, eligible to seek fresh admission after two years.