New Delhi, Oct. 22: Rahul Gandhi has lauded petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan for completing a project in the Congress MP's constituency, having earlier repeatedly assailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "vindictiveness" towards UPA-sanctioned projects in Amethi.

Rahul thanked Pradhan in a letter on Thursday for the inauguration of the permanent campus of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology at Jais in Amethi.

The Congress vice-president then put the minister in a potentially embarrassing position by requesting that he persuade his cabinet colleagues to implement the other pending projects meant for Amethi.

"I am happy that this historical effort of ours is moving forward. I would, however, like to bring to your notice that a number of other major development initiatives in Amethi which had either been legislated or had received cabinet approval have not progressed during the current NDA government," the letter said.

"These include Jagdishpur Paper Mill, Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University, National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project, Institute of Driving Training & Research and Kendriya Vidyalaya. I do hope that as a member of the council of ministers, you will urge your cabinet colleagues to expedite the completion of these important projects as well."

Former human resource development minister Smriti Irani and food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had faced Congress allegations of vindictiveness when they cancelled certain projects meant for Amethi.

Parliament has witnessed fierce battles whenever Rahul has raised the issue of discrimination against Amethi, with the government stoutly defending its actions.

Unlike Modi, who has not responded to the charge of "politics of vendetta" that Rahul hurled from Amethi two months ago, Irani got repeatedly embroiled in controversies over her cancellation of projects for the constituency.

The last major tiff happened when she, as human resource development minister, shifted the Amethi campus of the Indian Institute of Information Technology to Allahabad.

A Hindustan Paper Mill too was to be set up in Jagdishpur, Amethi, but has been shifted elsewhere.

The Congress had thrown a fit when Harsimrat cancelled a proposed mega food park two months after the Modi government assumed power.

"Politics of revenge and vendetta has marked the one year of the Modi government," the Congress later said in a statement.

The food park had received in-principle approval in September 2010. It was to be set up by Shaktiman Food Park Private Limited, an Aditya Birla Group company.

In July 2012, the Uttar Pradesh government gave its approval. But the Modi government cancelled the project on July 30, 2014.

The Congress claimed the food park would have generated employment for 30,000 people besides benefiting lakhs of farmers in 10 districts of Uttar Pradesh.