A young man has been arrested for attacking the security personnel at the Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur with a sharp-edged weapon on Sunday night.

Two constables of the Provincial Armed Constabulary posted at the temple gate were injured in the attack.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath is the mahant (chief priest) of the temple.

The accused has been identified as Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi, a resident of Civil Lines in Gorakhpur. Abbasi was also injured during a scuffle with the police who managed to overpower him.

Vipin Tanda, senior superintendent of police of Gorakhpur, said: “Abbasi was carrying a sharp weapon. He ran away inside the temple after the attack and was later overpowered. While attacking the security personnel, he was chanting religious slogans. We cannot rule out the terror angle. Our jawans Gopal Gaur and Anil Paswan have sustained injuries and were admitted to the hospital of the temple where they were given first aid before being sent to BRD Medical College.”

Tanda said Abbasi was under treatment in Sadar hospital. “Our team will interrogate him soon. He has been booked for attempt to murder and for disturbing religious harmony.”

Awanish Awasthi, additional chief secretary in the state home department, said the incident could be seen as a “terrorist attack” with some “deep conspiracy”.

Abbasi, who claimed he was a chemical engineer from IIT Mumbai, told reporters after his arrest: “I don’t want to live. The police should shoot me. My wife has left me and I have lost my job in Mumbai.”

His father Muneer Ahmad said his son was missing since Sunday morning. “Two persons identifying themselves as members of the Anti-Terrorist Squad of the Uttar Pradesh police visited our house on Saturday and spoke to Abbasi. They were on a motorcycle and told a family member that were talking to Abbasi only casually.”

Muneer said Abbasi had got 92 per cent in the intermediate and studied in IIT Mumbai till 2015. He also worked in a company in Mumbai from where he was removed, he said. “I brought him to Gorakhpur two years ago. He has suicidal tendencies. I will share his medical history with the police. He has tried to kill himself in past. He didn’t have a job and was living in a room in Mumbai. I brought him here because I feared he would commit suicide there,” said Muneer, also an engineer.

“The incident shouldn’t be linked to communalism. People chant religious slogans when in trouble or otherwise and that doesn’t mean they are insulting any religion or they are terrorists,” Muneer added.

In a video that surfaced on the social media, a youth with a sickle in hand is seen walking inside the Gorakhnath temple and pelting stones at the security personnel. Some youths and policemen are seen pelting stones and bricks at the young man before overpowering and thrashing him.

Later, the young man was seen with a plaster in his left hand and blood on his forehead while he was being shifted to the Sadar hospital.

The state home department officers held a meeting in Lucknow to review and increase the security of the chief minister.

Prashant Kumar, additional director-general of police, said: “The ATS and the police’s special task force are jointly probing the case. The accused was chanting religious slogans and tried to attack a vital installation of the state.”

Kumar didn’t confirm that the ATS officers had met Abbasi a day before the incident.