New Delhi, Sep 23 - The Delhi High Court Wednesday asked the Election Commission to respond to Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy's plea that electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in India lacked necessary safeguards to protect the integrity of a poll outcome and demanded that they be replaced.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah and Justice Manmohan asked the Election Commission to make its stand clear on Swamy's plea and slated the hearing Oct 21.

In his petition, Swamy stated that the EVMs used should be of international standards as prevalent in other countries.

'The Election Commission should at least provide for paper receipts of the votes cast for the voter to verify.