It is our duty to train new faces joining Shiv Sena: Sanjay Raut

Reacting to reports of the Shiv Sena appointing new spokespersons, Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Raut said on Saturday that as a senior leader, it was his duty to train the next generation to ensure that the foundations of the party remain strong.

"The new generation should get a chance to come forward. We have been working here since years and will continue to do so. We have been serving the party since late Balasaheb Thackeray's era and it will continue. We all are Shiv Sena leaders; Balasaheb has made us leaders and has kept us at the topmost post," said Raut.

"The post of a spokesperson is very important for a party and why should only we come forward every year. If new generation, new faces will come up we will direct them, after few years we will retire, so it s our responsibility to prepare new people for the strength of the party. That's why we have made a panel of six-seven people who are to be trained to speak on TV, debate, etc, just like Balasaheb had trained us," he added.

According to reports, the Shiv Sena has appointed five new people as party spokespersons, thereby removing senior leaders like Sanjay Raut, Manohar Joshi and Subhash Desai from these posts.