Co-owner of Indian-based company Venky's Venkatesh Rao has refuted suggestions that they intend to sell newly-relegated Blackburn Rovers.

The Rao family have come under criticism from the Lancashire outfit's supporters, with many urging them to sell the club that dropped into the Championship following a 1-0 defeat to Wigan Athletic on Monday.

Rao also insisted that deputy chief executive Paul Hunt was not sacked due to a leaked letter calling for manager Steve Kean to be dismissed back in December.

"It is a company of ours and there is nothing in it. The allegations are not correct," Rao told the Times of India.

"[Hunt's] sacking [is not] because of that. Some staff have to leave and we have to bring budgets down, so it is nothing to do with it."

Kean recently claimed that his job is safe, despite unrest within the club's fans.