Vladimir Putin claims being ‘cancelled’ like JK Rowling; Harry Potter author not having it

British author JK Rowling has slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin after he mentioned her during a speech condemning "cancel culture" in the West. The Kremlin leader stated that the 'Harry Potter' writer JK Rowling, whose novels are published all over the world, has been cancelled only because she did not satisfy the demands of gender rights, referring to her views on transgender issues.

In response, Rowling shared a BBC article about jailed Putin's critic and activist Alexei Navalny stating that critiques of western cancel culture are probably not best made by those now executing citizens for the crime of resistance, or jailing and poisoning their critics. The author also used the hashtag #IStandWithUkraine in her tweet. She also mentioned the work her children's charity Lumos is doing in Ukraine, which has been under Russian attack since February 24. In another tweet, she stated that children trapped in orphanages and other institutions in Ukraine are exceptionally vulnerable right now.

Putin claimed that the West is attempting to eliminate Russia's rich

While talking about JK Rowling, President Putin also claimed that the West is attempting to eliminate Russia's rich musical and literary culture, including renowned composers like Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Sergei Rachmaninov. He also claimed that they are attempting to delegitimize Russia. The President then compared cancel culture to Nazis attempting to destroy books in the 1930s. He has brought up Nazis several times during the current invasion of Ukraine. Before the invasion of Ukraine Putin linked his message of cancel culture with many of the common themes in US right-wing media, according to Business Insider.

Rowling has been criticised for her 'transphobic' statements

Putin's statement on Rowling comes as she has been criticised on social media for a number of statements, which have been interpreted as transphobic. She sparked controversy last year in June when she posted a series of "transphobic" tweets concerning menstruation. The author also generated outrage earlier this month when she posted a tweet on International Women's Day criticising the Labour Party's stance on women's rights. She has also been slammed by 'Harry Potter' stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. However, Rowling has consistently denied being "transphobic," stating that she knows and loves trans people.

Image: AP