Your argument that a cult is defined by the participant and not the person that the participant focusses on (the 'cult leader') would have some merit if the cult leader recognised that was happening and took reasonable steps to minimise it. Rather than go into all the ways that Rawat still behaves like a cult leader (and there are many), just the facts that he still allows people to line up and kiss his feet (not bow down to him as a mark of respect, but kiss his feet) and allows Arti to be sung to him, are enough to brand him still as a cult leader.

You have no possible defence to this argument.